DFA rebukes Chinese envoy over ‘thinly veiled threat’ of force; Teodoro says Beijing is ‘intimidating’ PH

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday rebuked Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan over remarks it said appeared to convey a “thinly veiled threat” of the use of force, as Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. accused Beijing of intimidating Manila amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

In a statement, the DFA called Jing’s choice of words regrettable and urged foreign diplomats to exercise restraint in their public statements, saying such remarks could undermine efforts to maintain dialogue between Manila and Beijing.

“The business of diplomacy requires tact and restraint in order to create space necessary for discourse, dialogue and engagement, regardless of the disparity in positions or perspectives,” the DFA said.

“It is regrettable that Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan today 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 DFA added. 

The department also urged diplomats accredited to the Philippines to be more careful with their public statements to avoid further eroding mutual trust and derailing constructive engagement.

Jing made the remarks after being asked about the Philippines’ suspension of direct military-to-military communications with China. 

He said the Philippines was fortunate to have China as a neighbor and warned of a greater risk of confrontation if the communication channels were not restored.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila criticized the DFA’s response, describing it as a selective quotation and overinterpretation of Jing’s remarks.

“This kind of selective quotation and overinterpretation demonstrates that there is still a long way to go in fostering effective communication and dialogue between China and the Philippines,” the Chinese Embassy said.

It added that diplomacy should be honest and straightforward to prevent misunderstandings and misjudgments, arguing that its fundamental purpose was to resolve disputes and avoid conflict.

The embassy also accused unnamed individuals of trying to undermine normal exchanges and cooperation between China and the Philippines, urging the DFA to act more responsibly to prevent bilateral relations from entering a dangerous and uncertain situation.

The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between Manila and Beijing over disputed maritime areas in the West Philippine Sea, where the Philippines has repeatedly raised concerns over Chinese actions against Filipino personnel and vessels.

“Certain individuals are actively seeking to undermine normal exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. 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,” the Chinese Embassy said.

In a DZMM interview on Friday, Teodoro said Jing’s remarks should not be treated as a mere policy statement, arguing that the ambassador’s words carried an implied threat against the Philippines.

“Ang mensahe ay may balak sila talaga na sinasalungat natin na nagbabanta sila na huwag natin salungatin,” Teodoro said.

He also questioned Jing’s characterization of the Philippines as fortunate despite the suspension of military-to-military talks.

“Sinabi daw ng embahador kahapon, masuwerte daw tayo, masuwerte pa tayo sa lagay na ito. Baliktad yata ang mundo ng taong ito kung tinatawag niyang swerte ito,” Teodoro said. 

The defense chief said the Philippines had no obligation to allow China to operate in its territory and argued that Beijing was warning Manila against resisting its actions.

“E nandito sila sa teritoryo natin. Wala silang karapatan,” he said.

Teodoro said the government was studying the ambassador’s remarks, which he viewed as an attempt to intimidate the Philippines by suggesting that China could prevail if it resorted to force.

“In the same statement sinasabi niya, ‘We want peace.’ Pagkatapos, ‘We can use force and you will lose.’ Ito ang tunay na laman ng statement na ‘yan. Tinatakot tayo,” Teodoro said.

He maintained that the Philippines wanted peace but would not abandon efforts to protect its territory and rights.

“Hindi naman giyera ang gusto natin pero ang gagalangin tayo,” he said.

Teodoro also defended the suspension of direct military-to-military communications, saying the arrangement had been discontinued for about three years because it had yielded no benefit to the Philippines.