MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense apologized to China for a logo gaffe during the handover ceremony of the rifles and ammunition the latter donated.

In a statement, DND spokesperson Director Arsenio Andolong said the agency admitted that it committed a “grievous but purely unintentional mistake of using a different logo on a banner to represent the Ministry of Defense of the People's Republic of China” last Thursday, October 5.

The Defense department did not mention which country's logo it has used on the tarpaulin that was hung during the ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo but reports confirmed that it was Taiwan's Ministry of Defense. Taiwan's official name is Republic of China.

Chinese officials reportedly called out the attention of the government for the error days after the event.

In this Oct. 5, 2017 photo, a tarpaulin, showing the logo of the Philippine Defense Department, top left, and that of Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, top right, is hung from the canopy of the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the turnover ceremony of hundreds of Chinese-made assault rifles by China to the Philippines at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon city. AP/Bullit Marquez

“We have issued an official apology to the government and the people of the People's Republic of China through his Excellency Zhao Jianhua, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Philippines,” Andolong said.

The DND reiterated that the Defense department and the Armed Forces of the Philippines strictly adhere to the One China Policy espoused by the government.

“We are fully cognizant and grateful for the support that the government of the People's Republic of China,” Andolong said.

“It is our sincere hope that this very unfortunate incident will not affect the cooperative and friendly relations between our two countries which has grown warmer over the past year,” he added.

On Thursday, China donated 3,000 assault rifles to the Philippine Military.

Zhao said the turnover of the rifles is “another demonstration of the commitment we have to friendly and cooperative relations with the Philippines.”

The Chinese are hopeful that the efforts to fight terrorism in the country would lead to peace in the Asian region. The donated firearms would be handed over to the Philippine National Police.

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