Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed on Friday (October 16) that the recent remarks made by the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, Jingshuan, sounded “like a kind of threat.” He is preparing to summon Jingshuan again.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a formal complaint. The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines countered that the Philippine side was “selectively quoting and interpreting” the remarks. This indicates that the diplomatic confrontation between the Philippines and China regarding the South China Sea (also known as the West Philippine Sea) dispute is heating up once again.
On Thursday (15th), during a lecture at a school in Manila, Jingshuan stated that if a conflict were to arise between China and the Philippines, Beijing could “easily win,” but he also added that China would not choose to use force.
He also claimed that the Philippines should consider itself fortunate to have China (the Chinese Communist Party) as a neighbor.
Just a day before Jingshuan made the above remarks, Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro Jr. referred to Beijing as a “troublemaker” in the region.
Jingshuan also warned that if the Philippines does not restore direct military communication channels with Beijing, it will face greater risks of confrontation. While the military communication channels between the two countries have been severed for about three years, communication channels between diplomacy and the coast guard remain open.
In response to Jingshuan’s remarks, Marcos Jr. stated on the 16th, “To me, it sounds like a kind of threat.”
He informed the media that he is preparing to summon Jingshuan for consultation regarding China’s assertion that they could easily win if they choose to resort to military action.
“I believe this is worth discussing between me and the ambassador,” Marcos Jr. said. “This sounds like a threat, and such statements are not appropriate in diplomatic discourse. So, we may want to clarify what he really means.”
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Thursday criticizing Jingshuan for using “inappropriate language” and interpreting his remarks as outright threats, which are not beneficial to the complex bilateral relationship between the Philippines and China.
The Department of Foreign Affairs stated that diplomacy requires “skill and restraint” to continue dialogue and engagement in cases of differing positions between both sides.
The Philippine Armed Forces also expressed support for the Defense Minister’s stance, emphasizing that Philippine-China dialogue requires mutual trust, sincerity, and respect for international law. A spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard described Jingshuan’s remarks as a “direct threat” and refuted his assurances about Beijing’s love for peace.
Teodoro stated on Friday that the Defense Department is closely studying Jingshuan’s verbal statements and believes that these words “are not slip of the tongue.”
“In the same statement, he first said ‘we want peace,’ and then said ‘we can use force, you will fail.’ This is a threat. This is the real meaning of the statement; we have been threatened,” Teodoro said.
He believes that Jingshuan’s public remarks have exposed China’s true intentions; China may also be trying to create an atmosphere to shift blame onto the Philippines for any future mishaps.
Regarding the suspension of military communication channels, Teodoro explained that these channels have actually been closed for three years, as they became ineffective for the Philippine side. The Philippines accuses China of abusing the communication channels and distorting facts as the reason for suspending relevant communications.
Teodoro also speculated that the crackdown by Philippine authorities on illegal activities involving Chinese nationals, including activities related to offshore gambling operators, fake steel, illegal mining, and human trafficking, may have triggered Jingshuan’s remarks.
Despite strong criticism from the Philippines towards Jingshuan’s statements, the Presidential Palace emphasized its desire to resolve differences through diplomatic means to avoid damaging the overall relationship between the two countries.
Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro stated during a briefing that the tense relations between the Philippines and China on the South China Sea issue should be distinguished from trade, investment, and other areas of interaction.
“Our relationship with China in trade and investment is one thing, but protecting our territorial interests in the South China Sea is another,” she said.
Castro mentioned that the Philippine government, especially the President, does not want the relationship between the two countries to deteriorate to unfriendly levels, therefore hoping to solve issues through diplomatic channels. However, the government will continue to uphold the interests and territories of the Philippines in the relevant waters.
Marcos Jr. is scheduled to visit Shenzhen, China from November 18 to 20 to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Informal Meeting, with details of the trip yet to be announced.
This is not the first time the Philippines and China have been involved in diplomatic tensions due to the South China Sea dispute. On July 20th, a conflict between the two countries’ vessels in the disputed waters resulted in injuries to two Philippine military personnel. Photos released on July 21st showed Marcos Jr. meeting with Jingshuan after the conflict.
The ongoing dispute in the South China Sea continues to escalate tensions between Beijing and Manila. The Philippines won a favorable ruling in the 2016 South China Sea arbitration case, but Beijing refused to accept and implement the ruling, still asserting sovereignty claims over most of the South China Sea.