The Chinese Embassy in Manila has dismissed, for the moment, suggestions to sanction Philippine legislators who have been publicly critical of Beijing, saying such a move would run counter to its stated approach of encouraging open exchanges with Filipino officials.
Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng said proposals to impose punitive measures against lawmakers carry an implication of censorship, which he argued does not align with China’s current position. However, he stressed that Beijing remains prepared to respond in kind should tensions continue to escalate.
“It’s not our option — at least not now. This is a debate. They have the freedom to express their views, and we have the freedom to respond,” Ji averred.
“No one should be silenced. Diplomacy is based on reciprocity — words for words, actions for actions,” he concluded.
Ji issued the remarks after reports surfaced of recommendations urging Beijing to bar legislators critical of China, along with their family members, from entering Hong Kong and Macao. The proposed measures also included freezing any assets these officials may have in China and restricting Chinese citizens and institutions from engaging in business with them.
The issue comes as Beijing and Manila’s officials trade increasingly pointed statements, fueled by China’s recent decision to prohibit 16 municipal officials from Kalayaan, Palawan from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macao. Kalayaan is the country’s most remote and least populated municipality and is located in the West Philippine Sea.
Those officials were among the signatories of a resolution approved in late January declaring Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan persona non grata in Kalayaan. The resolution accused Jing of meddling in Philippine domestic matters, which the officials said violated Article 41, Section 1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
That treaty provision requires foreign diplomats to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of the host state. Both the Philippines and China are signatories to the Vienna Convention.
Concerns over further escalation have grown since the Chinese Embassy and Philippine officials have been trading sharp remarks since December, shortly after Jing assumed his post as Beijing’s top envoy in Manila. Jing is described as a veteran diplomat with extensive experience in the United States, having served as deputy director-general for North American affairs and previously as deputy chief of mission at China’s embassy in Washington.
The dispute intensified after the Chinese Embassy filed two diplomatic protests urging the Philippines to stop what it described as tolerating West Philippine Sea spokesperson Jay Tarriela, whom Beijing accused of leading a “smear campaign” against Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Tarriela drew criticism from the embassy after he presented a caricature of Xi titled “Why China remains a bully?” during a forum at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde earlier in January. Photos from the event were later uploaded on his Facebook page.
The embassy said Tarriela’s social media posts were not a new concern but claimed the specific post amounted to a “blatant political provocation” that had “crossed the red line.”
Tensions further escalated when the Senate adopted a resolution condemning Jing and other Chinese officials, which Beijing described as hostile. The measure expressed Senate support for Filipino lawmakers and government officials, including Tarriela, who were criticized by the Chinese Embassy in relation to the maritime dispute.
Ji dismissed the Senate action as a “political stunt,” accusing senators of deliberately fueling hostility and confrontation between the two countries. He also described senators who supported the resolution as “hypocrites” and “ignorant” of diplomacy, while claiming they were undermining efforts to improve bilateral ties.
Senate President Tito Sotto responded with a strong rebuke, saying the embassy’s remarks were an attempt to “silence” the Senate. He also accused Ji of hypocrisy for calling for respect while issuing statements that he said insulted members of Congress.
Ji rejected Sotto’s claim, arguing instead that the Senate was the party attempting to silence others, citing calls—raised by Sotto himself—for Jing to be declared persona non grata.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has warned that China’s retaliatory actions could harm the long-standing diplomatic relationship between Manila and Beijing. It also urged the Chinese Embassy to issue statements in a “calm and professional manner,” mindful of the respect expected in diplomatic engagement.
The dispute unfolds amid the broader maritime conflict between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, which overlaps with the West Philippine Sea. China continues to assert jurisdiction over areas claimed by the Philippines despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims over nearly the entire South China Sea.
In a Facebook post in January, the Chinese Embassy reiterated its rejection of the arbitral ruling, calling it “illegal from the outset,” and said the case was “unilaterally initiated by the Philippines without first engaging in the required prior consultations, in clear violation of the principle of state consent that underpins arbitration.”
China’s repeated verbal attacks against Philippine officials come alongside reported actions in the West Philippine Sea, including alleged use of a military-grade laser, collisions involving vessels, and missile deployment.
