Photo credit: Congress PH

China has firmly denied reports that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte applied for asylum before a supposed arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The rumor, which has been making rounds, claims that Duterte sought refuge in China but was turned down—something Beijing says never happened.

The issue came up when Ding Xuexiang, Vice Premier of China, attended the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025 in Hainan. During a media briefing, a TVB reporter asked if China had indeed rejected Duterte’s alleged request. In response, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, set the record straight.

Guo emphasized that Duterte’s recent visit to Hong Kong was purely for private vacation and had nothing to do with asylum. “We have never received the so-called application for asylum to the Chinese government from former President Rodrigo Duterte or his family,” he clarified.

He also urged the media to be cautious about spreading unverified claims. “We hope people from the media can be careful about the so-called ‘information from sources,’ either unfounded or ill-motivated, and do not easily believe what they hear,” Guo added.

The rumors also suggested that Philippine authorities attempted to arrest Duterte in Hong Kong with help from the Hong Kong Police Force. However, this was reportedly blocked due to China not being a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC.

For now, the claims about Duterte’s asylum request remain just that—claims. China maintains that no such request was ever made, and Duterte’s Hong Kong trip was nothing more than a private getaway.