China denied on Monday that it had received any asylum request from former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte or his family, and Duterte's recent visit to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was on a private vacation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.
Guo's statement came in response to questions related to Duterte's visit to Hong Kong.
"Regarding Mr. Duterte's visit to Hong Kong, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has already provided a response, and relevant individuals from the Philippines have also made statements. I would like to emphasize that Mr. Duterte's visit to Hong Kong is a private vacation. China has never received any request for asylum from former President Duterte or his family. As for certain so-called 'informed sources' spreading unfounded or deliberately misleading claims, we urge friends from the media to carefully verify the facts and make sure not to be misled," Guo told the press briefing.
On March 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office in Hong Kong released a statement confirming that Duterte's visit, along with his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, was a private vacation. The office also stated that rallies organized by Philippine citizens in Hong Kong were pre-approved in accordance with the SAR's laws and regulations.
China denies receiving asylum request from former Philippine president
The world has entered a period of "wrecking-ball politics", where sweeping destruction has become the order of the day, according to the Munich Security Report 2026 released in Berlin on Monday.
The report, titled "Under Destruction", aims to set the tone for the upcoming Munich Security Conference (MSC). The annual event is expected to gather nearly 50 heads of state and government, alongside hundreds of decision-makers and opinion leaders, later this week.
The current U.S. administration is seen as the most prominent actor promising to free itself from existing order constraints, which has placed the U.S.-led post-1945 international order now under destruction, according to the report.
In the report's foreword, MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger noted that the attention the conference is attracting this year is not only a reflection of the many conflicts and crises that dominate the global agenda, but also a result of the changing role of the United States in the international system.
The report observes that political forces favoring destruction over reform are gaining momentum across many Western societies, driven by disenchantment with the performance of democratic institutions and a loss of trust in political course corrections.
However, the report warns that it remains unclear whether such destruction will actually clear the ground for policies that increase security, prosperity and freedom. Instead, the world may see a shift toward transactional deals over principled cooperation, private interests over public good, and regional hegemons over universal norms.
Munich Security Report 2026 warns of ‘wrecking-ball politics’ disrupting international order
