Philippines hits back at Chinese envoy over 'thinly veiled threat' of force
The foreign ministry said Jing Quan’s comments were a poor choice of words as Manila warned they could erode trust and dialogue, officials said.
- On Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs rebuked Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan for remarks made in Quezon City, saying they conveyed a "thinly veiled threat of the use of force" against the Philippines.
- During a speech at Diliman College on Thursday, Jing told reporters that while China "may easily win" a conflict, it would not resort to force, claiming the Philippines is "fortunate to have a neighbor like China."
- Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela condemned the envoy's comments as a "direct threat," rejecting the assurance of peace: "A guest who reminds his host that he could easily beat him up, but has graciously decided not to, is not describing friendship."
- The DFA urged diplomats to exercise "tact and restraint" to preserve dialogue, while Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro maintains suspension of direct military communications with Beijing over security concerns.
- Teodoro labeled Beijing a regional "troublemaker" earlier in the week, as the two nations face recurring confrontations in the South China Sea where Beijing claims territory despite the 2016 Arbitral Award invalidating its historical assertions.
24 Articles
24 Articles
The Independent
The Independent (US)China says it ‘may easily win’ war with Philippines but insists it ‘loves peace’
Manila says Chinese envoy’s comments sound ‘very much to me like a threat’
Beijing could "easily win" a conflict with the Philippines, even though it would never choose force, China's ambassador to Manila said, in a comment the island nation dismissed as a "thinly veiled threat".
Beijing could "easily win" a conflict with the Philippines, even though it would never choose force, China's ambassador to Manila said, in a comment the island nation dismissed as a "thinly veiled threat".
China's Ambassador to Manila said that Beijing could defeat "with ease" the Philippines in a possible military conflict, but he assured that his country would not resort to force, because "it loves peace." The diplomat's statements provoked harsh reactions, with the Philippine authorities reporting a " barely masked threat," against the backdrop of persistent tensions in the South China Sea.
The Chinese ambassador to the Philippines stated that China could easily defeat the Philippines if it chose to use force, but affirmed that China cherishes peace and does not wish to use force to resolve maritime disputes.
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