PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on Friday, October 16, 2026, that he will summon Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan in relation to his recent remark about the use of force to win amid maritime disputes between the two countries.
"It sounds very much to me like a threat, and it is not a very diplomatic statement to be made. So, we perhaps would like to understand what exactly it is that he means," he said in an interview with reporters.
“I think that deserves a discussion between the ambassador and myself,” he added.
In an earlier interview, Jing said China "may easily win" if it chooses to use force against the Philippines.
However, he said his country will not resort to such measures because they "love peace."
"You should feel fortunate enough that you have a neighbor like China in this region. If we want to use force, we may easily win. But no, we will not use force. You know, we love peace," said Jing.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs called out Jing for his poor choice of words that conveys a "thinly veiled threat" of the use of force, further straining the relationship between the two countries. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)