Marcos plans to summon China’s envoy over remarks he called a threat
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Ambassador Jing Quan’s remarks warranted a discussion. China’s embassy says the envoy was selectively quoted.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday, October 16, that he would summon Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan after interpreting the envoy’s remarks about a possible confrontation as a threat. The planned discussion comes amid repeated disputes between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea; the Chinese embassy says Jing was selectively quoted.
Asked about Jing’s comments, Marcos said they sounded very much like a threat and deserved a discussion with the ambassador, Reuters reported. Rappler also reported the president’s plan to summon Jing. Neither account establishes that the meeting has taken place.
What Jing Quan said at the South China Sea conference
Jing made the remarks on Thursday, October 15, on the sidelines of a South China Sea conference in Quezon City, according to the South China Morning Post. He was responding to a question about the Philippine defence secretary’s description of China as a regional troublemaker, Reuters reported.
Jing said China ‘may easily win’ a confrontation but would not use force because ‘we love peace’, according to Reuters. The Philippine foreign ministry called his words a poor choice and said they were unhelpful given the countries’ complicated relationship. The South China Morning Post reported that Manila called for diplomatic restraint and that Marcos said the comments ran counter to efforts to ease South China Sea stand-offs.
China’s response and the South China Sea dispute
The Chinese embassy rejected Manila’s interpretation, saying Jing had been selectively quoted and that the Philippine response was an ‘over-interpretation’, Reuters reported. It described relations as being at an extremely sensitive stage. China’s foreign ministry said it hoped the Philippines would understand Beijing’s position on improving ties accurately and comprehensively.
The exchange follows years of friction over reefs and islands in the South China Sea, including features within the Philippine exclusive economic zone where the countries’ coast guards have repeatedly faced off, Reuters reported. The South China Morning Post also described rising tensions around Scarborough Shoal, where it said Beijing had repeatedly driven away Philippine aircraft in recent months while accusing Manila of violating Chinese airspace.
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Sources and context
- Marcos to summon China envoy over ‘threat’ | The wRapRappler
- Philippines hits back at Chinese envoy over 'thinly veiled threat' of forceReuters, republished by The Straits Times
- Envoy says China could win conflict, Manila claims it’s a ‘thinly veiled threat’South China Morning Post
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.