Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Department of Foreign Affairs protested comments by Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan, calling them a thinly veiled threat of force amid South China Sea tensions.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his government on Friday protested remarks by China’s ambassador to Manila, characterizing them as “a thinly veiled threat of the use of force.” The incident marks the latest escalation in the longstanding territorial dispute between the two nations in the South China Sea.
The controversy stems from comments made by Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan on Thursday at the sidelines of a Manila forum. When asked by reporters to respond to Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s description of China as a “troublemaker” in the region, Jing rejected the characterization as “nonsense.”
Jing stated that the Philippines should feel fortunate to have China as a neighbor. “If we want to use force, we may easily win. But no, we will not choose force and we love peace,” Jing said. He further noted, “In this region, we enjoy peace. Look at other regions: Ukraine, Gaza and even Venezuela.”
President Marcos Jr. addressed the comments on Friday, stating that the ambassador's words sounded “very much to me like a threat and it is not a very diplomatic statement to be made.” He added that he would like to understand what Jing exactly meant.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila issued a separate statement on Oct. 15, expressing regret over the ambassador's language. The DFA said Jing “had a poor choice of words that would seem to convey a thinly veiled threat of the use of force which is hardly helpful in the context of the complicated bilateral ties between the Philippines and China.”
The department urged all diplomats accredited to the Philippines to “take greater care in the language used in public statements so as not to further erode mutual trust and confidence, nor derail the advancement of dialogue and constructive engagement.”
The Chinese Embassy responded by suggesting that the Philippine foreign affairs department had taken Jing’s statement out of context. The embassy accused Manila of employing “selective quotation and overinterpretation” of the ambassador's remarks.
“China-Philippines relations are currently at an extremely sensitive stage,” the embassy said. “We urge the DFA to play a more responsible role in preventing such actions, thereby ensuring that China-Philippines relations are not pushed into a dangerous and uncertain situation.”
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Beijing’s position on the bilateral relationship “is clear,” adding that “we hope the Philippine side can understand it comprehensively and accurately.”
China and the Philippines have long clashed over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a key global trade route. China claims virtually the entire waterway as its sovereign territory, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan hold separate claims.
Defense Secretary Teodoro, described as one of the harshest critics in Asia of China’s actions, told Philippine radio station DZMM that Jing was clearly threatening the Philippines. In June, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Teodoro and his family were banned from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macao, citing “irresponsible remarks” that undermined Beijing’s interests.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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