From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Dec 3): DFA sends circular for implementation of new policy on Chinese e-passports
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday said that the Bureau of
Immigration (BI) and the country’s foreign posts have been provided with the
circulars about the new visa rules regarding the controversial Chinese
e-passports bearing the image of a map that includes areas in the disputed West
Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
In a press conference, DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez
said that the circulars issued applied to all Chinese passports, old and new, so
that there would be “no confusion into the implementation.” “As far as our foreign posts are concerned, they have already received the
circular which is effective immediately,” Hernandez said. He noted that the BI
had also been doing all preparations for the urgent implementation of the new
policy....
Hernandez had earlier said that the new policy on the passports was made “to
avoid the Philippines being misconstrued as legitimizing the nine-dash line
(claim) every time a Philippine visa is stamped on such Chinese e-passport.” The
Philippines has criticized China’s nine-dash claim of sovereignty over nearly
the entire sea as “excessive” and inconsistent with international laws. Hernandez explained that under the new policy, Philippine visas would be
stamped on a separate visa form to be provided by the DFA’s posts abroad to
Chinese nationals. He added that the entry stamps would be affixed by Philippine Immigration
officers on the same document and not on the new Chinese passports.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/58595/dfa-sends-circular-for-implementation-of-new-policy-on-chinese-e-passports
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