Tensions between China and the Philippines further escalated as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accused Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro of “consistently attacking and smearing” Beijing. Teodoro responded on Saturday, labeling the Chinese statements as “typical squid tactics” aimed at avoiding the issues confronting Beijing.
In a routine press conference on Friday, CCP Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun criticized Teodoro for leading armed forces to arrest some Chinese citizens legally working in the Philippines, alleging that he “consistently attacks and smears China, damaging not only the bilateral relationship between China and the Philippines, but also harming the interests of the Filipino nation and its people.”
In response to Guo’s accusations, Teodoro issued a statement on Saturday defending the law enforcement operation conducted in May at the Sanjia steel plant in Misamis Oriental province. The operation led to the arrest of several Chinese citizens. Teodoro stated that the arrests were lawful and supported by irrefutable and legally admissible evidence obtained through search warrants issued by the courts.
He further explained that the infractions committed by the arrested Chinese citizens included producing substandard and radioactively contaminated steel, discharging polluted wastewater, and emitting toxic gases.
“Are these individuals involved in illegal activities? The answer is simple and clear: yes—unless Chinese (CCP) officials believe that producing substandard and radioactively contaminated steel for reuse, discharging untreated polluted wastewater into rivers, and emitting untreated toxic fumes that harm the environment are all legitimate practices,” Teodoro said.
He questioned whether Chinese embassy officials actively interfered in Philippine law enforcement procedures and threatened retaliation against Filipino nationals, to which he claimed the answer revealed during a Senate hearing was “yes.”
“The latest statement from the Chinese (CCP) Foreign Ministry regarding my statements is a typical squid tactic—spreading false information by evading (issues),” Teodoro said. “We will not be intimidated!”
He expressed that the CCP Foreign Ministry continues to evade the key issues surrounding the Sanjia steel plant incident, instead taking action against Filipino nationals in China on the pretext of suspected violations of Chinese immigration laws.
On August 10, China confirmed that its immigration authorities had taken action against over a hundred Filipino nationals suspected of working or residing illegally in China. This move was seen as retaliation for the Philippines’ law enforcement operation against Chinese citizens in May. Teodoro condemned the CCP’s actions on August 13 as “plain extortion and blackmail.”
The latest round of confrontations further underscores the deteriorating relationship between Teodoro and Beijing. Previously, Teodoro had stated that China posed a serious territorial and political threat to the Philippines, leading to sanctions imposed by China in June. In response, Teodoro labeled China as “evil.”
This article references reports from Reuters and The Philippine STAR.