According to a report by The Associated Press on October 16, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his government protested against the remarks made by China's ambassador to the Philippines on Friday, calling them a 'barely concealed threat of force'.
This is the latest round of diplomatic friction triggered by territorial disputes between China and Philippines over the South China Sea.
On Thursday, during a forum in Manila, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan was asked by reporters about the remarks made by Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro regarding China as a "trouble maker" in the region. Jing Quan said that such statements are "baseless nonsense," and added that the Philippines should be fortunate to have a neighbor like China.
The Philippines should be grateful to have China as a neighbor. If we were to use force, it would be very possible to win easily. But we will not use force, because we love peace.
Jing Quan emphasized, "We hope that countries in this region, especially those in East Asia and Southeast Asia, will work together to cherish peace and seek common development. China is willing to share its development experiences and technologies with neighboring countries. We hope that all countries will see China's development as an opportunity, rather than a threat."
When asked about his opinion on the remarks made by the Chinese ambassador, Marcos insisted: “In my opinion, this sounds like a threat.”
The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in another statement that this “seems to convey an almost undisguised threat of force,” which is “regrettable.”
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines stated that the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs misinterpreted Ambassador Jing Quan's remarks, making "selective quotations and excessive interpretations."
The Chinese Embassy stated: "Current China-Philippines relations are at an extremely sensitive stage. We urge the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs to play a more responsible role, preventing such acts from happening and avoiding pushing China-Philippine relations into a dangerous and uncertain situation."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning stated that China's position on improving relations between China and the Philippines is clear. He hoped that the Filipino side would understand this clearly and comprehensively.
