The Chinese Embassy in Manila has appealed to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to intervene in what it described as an escalating exchange of statements between Philippine officials and the embassy, warning that the situation could damage ongoing diplomatic efforts.
In a statement released Tuesday, Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Ji Lingpeng urged the DFA to help prevent Filipino officials from issuing remarks that he said unfairly portray China and contribute to worsening tensions.
“We urge the DFA to play a responsible role in restraining certain individuals in the Philippines from making such remarks, in order to prevent any undermining or harm to ongoing diplomatic efforts,” Ji said.
The spokesperson maintained that China remains willing to address differences with the Philippines through dialogue and consultation, reiterating Beijing’s position that disputes should be managed through diplomatic engagement.
At the same time, Ji said China would not tolerate statements that it considers defamatory or inflammatory.
“At the same time, we firmly oppose any slander or smear against China, as well as irresponsible remarks that incite hatred,” he said.
The embassy’s statement came a day after the DFA issued a response expressing concern over an earlier warning from the Chinese Embassy suggesting that deteriorating bilateral relations could result in millions of Filipino job losses.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs notes with concern the Chinese Embassy’s statement attributing job losses among Filipinos to strained bilateral relations,” the DFA said.
While emphasizing that it values cooperation with all countries in areas such as economic and cultural engagement, the DFA said it objected to how the Chinese Embassy framed the issue.
“However, we take strong exception to the Embassy’s tone, which appears to imply that such cooperation could be withheld as a form of leverage or retaliation,” the department said.
The DFA added that the manner of the embassy’s statement could be seen as coercive and could weaken efforts to maintain constructive communication between the two sides.
“In the current atmosphere, this framing risks being perceived as coercive and undermines constructive bilateral dialogue,” the DFA said.
