MANILA, Philippines | The Philippine government has protested remarks by Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan suggesting China could easily win a conflict if it chose to use force, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. describing the statement as threatening and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) calling it a “thinly veiled threat of the use of force.”
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, October 15, on the sidelines of the second Diliman Dialogues in Quezon City, Jing was responding to Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s description of China as a regional troublemaker.
“If we want to use force, we may easily win. But no, we will not use force,” Jing said, adding that China values peace. He also said the Philippines should feel fortunate to have China as a neighbor.
Marcos said on Friday that the ambassador’s remarks sounded like a threat and were not diplomatic. He indicated that the statement warranted a direct discussion with Jing to clarify what he meant.
In a statement issued on Thursday night, the DFA criticized the ambassador’s choice of words, saying diplomacy requires tact and restraint to preserve dialogue despite differences between countries. It also urged all diplomats accredited to the Philippines to exercise greater care in public statements to avoid further damaging mutual trust and confidence.
The Chinese Embassy responded by accusing the DFA of “selective quotation and overinterpretation” of Jing’s remarks. It said relations between the two countries were at an extremely sensitive stage and urged Manila to act responsibly to prevent further deterioration.
The exchange comes amid continuing tensions over the South China Sea, where China claims extensive maritime areas also claimed by the Philippines and other regional countries. The Philippines refers to the waters within its western maritime domain as the West Philippine Sea.
In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ruled in a case brought by the Philippines that China’s expansive claims to historic rights within its so-called nine-dash line had no legal basis where they exceeded the maritime entitlements allowed under the convention. China rejected the ruling, while Manila maintains that it is final and legally binding.
The latest diplomatic dispute follows repeated confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in contested waters. Both governments have said they support peace, but their competing maritime claims and increasingly sharp public statements continue to strain bilateral relations.
DC Alviar
Professor DC Alviar is a tenured associate professor at National University (NU) Manila and a steering committee member of the Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO). He has contributed to NU's community extension initiatives that introduced the five disciplines of a learning organization (Senge, 1990) to communities within a local government unit. He writes and edits local reports for Mega Scene. He graduated with Master of Development Communication (MDC) and Doctor of Communication (DComm) degrees from the University of the Philippines (UP) Open University in Los Baños and was awarded with a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) SIKAP grant. He previously served as editor-in-chief of The Adamson News and his high school publication Ang Ugat.
- DC Alviar
- DC Alviar
- DC Alviar
- DC Alviar
