According to the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, on October 19, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan met with Filipino Foreign Minister Lazaro at an arranged meeting. He expressed serious concerns about recent remarks by Filipino officials and politicians who interpreted things wrongly and slandered China.
Ambassador Jing pointed out that recently, I was invited to attend the second Diliman Dialogue and delivered a keynote speech. During the tea break, I was interviewed by local Filipino media. The core message I conveyed is to handle China-Filipina relations in a discrete manner, without excessive contact. Different strategies should be adopted according to the nature of each issue in each field. We need to strengthen dialogue, manage differences, and deepen cooperation. We should create more positive stories and news, using positive measures to counter negative effects, and avoid a vicious cycle of mutual targeting and retaliation in bilateral relations.
The statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China says that my speech is a blatant "threat." What is a threat? If you don't listen to me, I will harm you—that is what a threat means. Although China has the ability to do so, it will not use it, because we are friends and neighbors, and there is no need for such actions. Peace in this region is hard-won and should be cherished. This is not a threat; it is a way of maintaining peace. Regarding handling maritime disputes, China has always exercised great restraint.
The Chinese side fully agrees that diplomatic efforts need to be conducted with prudence and restraint in order to create the necessary space for dialogue and communication. However, when Defense Minister Teodoro cut off communication between the Chinese and Filipino militaries for three years and claimed there was no intention of restoring such communication, when he led his troops into factories to arrest unarmed Chinese workers, when he allied himself with external forces to attack and smear Chinese education, forcing more than 180 Chinese teachers to leave the Philippines, and when he labeled China as a 'trouble maker' in the region, these actions demonstrate a lack of proper consideration.
The Taiwan issue is at the core of China’s core interests. Recently, the Philippines has been showing negative trends regarding the Taiwan issue, which has drawn high attention from China. China has taken this matter seriously and has made solemn representations.
Teodoro, Tariera and others, as well as some congressmen and senators, have been scheming and openly attacking China and slandering it, creating waves of anti-China sentiment.
Ambassador Jing pointed out that mutual respect and cooperative interaction are two-way pathways. The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines serves as a bridge for promoting friendly cooperation between the two countries, as well as a stronghold for safeguarding China's national interests and dignity. At present, China-Filipino relations are at a very sensitive and complex stage. We urge the Filipino side to truly respect China's core interests and concerns, to take immediate measures to restrict and regulate anti-China politicians and those with ulterior motives, in order to prevent bilateral relations from further sliding into a dangerous conflict.
