A diplomatic row between the Philippines and China escalated on Saturday as Beijing’s embassy accused Filipino politicians of distorting its statements, prompting a lawmaker to call for Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s expulsion after the mission challenged officials pushing to declare him persona non grata to “stop bluffing.”
The dispute followed Jing’s response to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s description of China as a regional “troublemaker.” The ambassador said China could “easily win” if it resorted to force in a confrontation with the Philippines, but maintained that Beijing would not choose that course.
“Some senators and house representatives are talking about declaring the Chinese ambassador persona non grata. Is this threat or coercion?” the embassy said in a social media post.
“But anyway, just do it. Otherwise, STOP BLUFFING,” it added.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña responded by calling for Jing’s expulsion, describing him as an arrogant and unwelcome visitor.
“Napakayabang na bwisita,” Cendaña said in a post on X on Saturday.
“Hanggang kailan ba natin ito titiisin? Dapat nang paalisin itong Chinese ambassador,” he added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.said on Friday that the ambassador’s remarks sounded like a threat and warranted a discussion between them.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Jing’s choice of words appeared to convey a “thinly veiled threat of the use of force” and urged all foreign diplomats accredited to the Philippines to exercise greater care in their public statements.
The Chinese Embassy rejected Manila’s interpretation, accusing Philippine officials of selectively quoting and overinterpreting Jing’s comments.
“Some Philippine politicians should stop thinking they can get what they want by pressuring China. The Chinese people don't buy it,” it said in another post.
“Worse, their pressuring is based on twisting words and taking things out of context. As a Chinese saying goes, ‘making a case where there is none’. Those who twist the facts have no right to lecture others about respect,” the envoy added.
‘Lost in translation’
The dispute spilled onto social media, with the embassy also criticizing Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela over his comments on the controversy.
In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, the embassy shared a screenshot of a translated post by Tarriela and accused him of acknowledging that the Philippines had threatened Jing.
“This is a threat. Jay Tarriela admitted it. Key point: You don't like being threatened. Even when there is no threat, you still create one—but you absolutely love threatening others, including Chinese workers, teachers, fishermen and diplomats,” the Chinese Embassy wrote.
Tarriela disputed the embassy’s interpretation. “Lost in translation, or just consistently lying, Ambassador Jing Quan? Chinongaling!” he replied.
In his original post, Tarriela had criticized Jing for challenging the Philippine legislature after what Tarriela described as a threat against the country.
“Ganito kayabang ang dayuhang Ambassador habang nasa loob ng sarili nating bansa. Matapos tayong pagbantaan, siya pa ngayon ang nagmamalaki at hinahamon pa ang isang buong sangay ng ating pamahalaan, ang Lehislatura,” the post read.
The diplomatic dispute comes amid longstanding tensions between Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea, particularly the West Philippine Sea, where Chinese and Philippine vessels have repeatedly confronted each other.
In 2016, an arbitral tribunal ruled against the legal basis of Beijing’s expansive maritime claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. China rejects the ruling.
The Philippines continues to invoke the decision in defending its maritime rights, while Beijing maintains its claims over the disputed waters.