Taiwan is considering retaliatory measures against the Philippines after the Department of Health confirmed that the travel ban imposed amid the coronavirus disease outbreak also covers this fully independent country.

This was revealed by Chairman Lito Banayo of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), the Philippines’ representative office in Taiwan, in an interview with a Philippine local news network on Wednesday.

According to Banayo, the newly re-elected Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen convened a special Cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning to discuss possible retaliatory measures against the Philippines such as the banning of Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan or cancellation of the 14-day visa-free privilege. He explained that the Taiwanese government took great offense at the Philippines’ inclusion of Taiwan in the travel ban due to “political” reason, rather than being health-related.

Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said Taiwan is included in the travel ban on Monday. “When we asked the World Health Organization very, very clearly, they always refer to just one China, and Taiwan is included, even in their official reports.”

In the Philippines, some 200 passengers got stranded at the airport also due to the travel restrictions. More than 100 Taiwanese on a flight to the Philippines spent the night at Boracay Airport on Monday and were sent back to Taiwan around noon on Tuesday (Feb. 11) after the Philippine government unexpectedly banned Taiwanese from entering the country due to fears over the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)