MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Friday (Oct 16) that he would summon Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan over the envoy’s remarks that China could easily win if it chose to use force.
“I think that deserves a discussion between the ambassador and myself,” Marcos said in an ambush interview.
“Well, it sounds very much to me like a threat, and it is not a very diplomatic statement to make. So, we perhaps would like to understand what exactly it is that he means,” he added.
On Thursday, Jing said China could “easily win” a military conflict with the Philippines but stressed that Beijing would not resort to force to settle maritime disputes between the two countries.
Jing also warned that the Philippines faced a greater risk of confrontation if it did not restore direct military-to-military communications with China, which Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. suspended about three years ago.
“If we want to use force, we may easily win. But no, we will not use force. You know, we love peace,” Jing told reporters on the sidelines of the second Diliman Dialogues organized by the Philippines-China Studies Center of Diliman College in Quezon City.
In response, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) described Jing’s remarks as a threat that could further strain ties between the Philippines and China.
“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 said in a statement.
The department added that diplomacy required “tact and restraint” to allow dialogue and engagement to continue despite differences in positions.
Military-to-military communications
On Wednesday, Teodoro cited China’s alleged abuse of communication channels and distortion of narratives as reasons for maintaining the suspension of direct military-to-military communications between the Philippines and China.
He said communication channels remained open through the DFA and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), for its part, backed Teodoro’s position, saying dialogue required mutual trust, sincerity and respect for international law.
Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela separately described Jing’s remarks as a “direct threat” and rejected the envoy’s assurance that China loved peace.
Marcos is set to visit Shenzhen, China, from Nov 18 to 20 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting. Details about his activities, however, have yet to be provided. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
