MANILA, OCT 16: The Philippines on Friday lodged a protest against remarks made by Chinese Ambassador to Manila Jing Quan, describing them as a “thinly veiled threat of the use of force” amid escalating tensions between the two countries over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. criticised the ambassador’s comments, saying they sounded like a threat and were inappropriate for a diplomat.
The controversy erupted after Jing was asked on the sidelines of a forum in Manila on Thursday to respond to Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s description of China as a “troublemaker” in the region.
Rejecting the allegation, Jing called it “nonsense” and said the Philippines should consider itself fortunate to have China as a neighbour.
“If we want to use force, we may easily win. But no, we will not choose force and we love peace,” the Chinese envoy said, adding that the region enjoyed peace compared with places such as Ukraine, Gaza and Venezuela.
Responding to the remarks, Marcos said he wanted clarification on what the ambassador meant, while describing the statement as “very much to me like a threat” and “not a very diplomatic statement to be made.”
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern, saying it was regrettable that Jing’s choice of words appeared to convey a threat of force. It warned that such statements could further undermine mutual trust and complicate already sensitive bilateral relations.
The department urged all diplomats accredited to the Philippines to exercise greater care in their public statements to avoid damaging confidence or disrupting dialogue and constructive engagement.
The Chinese Embassy, however, accused the Philippine foreign affairs department of taking Jing’s remarks out of context through “selective quotation and overinterpretation.” It said relations between the two countries were at an extremely sensitive stage and urged Manila to act responsibly to prevent the situation from becoming more dangerous and uncertain.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing’s position on relations with the Philippines remained clear and expressed hope that Manila would understand it comprehensively and accurately.
Teodoro, among the most vocal critics of China’s increasingly assertive activities in the region, also condemned the ambassador’s remarks, telling Philippine radio station DZMM that they amounted to a clear threat against his country.
China and the Philippines have been locked in a longstanding dispute over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, a strategically important global trade route. China claims almost the entire waterway, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also assert claims over parts of the area.
Maritime confrontations and increasingly heated exchanges between Beijing and Manila have intensified in recent years.
In June, China’s Foreign Ministry announced that Teodoro and his family had been barred from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao over what Beijing described as “irresponsible remarks” that undermined Chinese interests.
