Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says he will summon Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan after the envoy’s comments on China’s ability to “easily win” if it used force were described by Manila as a threat. Marcos characterizes the remarks as “very much like a threat” and says they warrant discussion between the ambassador and himself. He also calls the comments insufficiently diplomatic, adding that he wants to understand what the envoy meant.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) previously urged greater restraint, saying Jing’s wording amounted to a “thinly veiled threat of the use of force.” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. backs the DFA assessment, saying the statement was not a “slip” and that defense officials are studying it. Chinese officials respond that the DFA is misreading the remarks and point to selective quotation and overinterpretation, arguing the comments should not be treated as threatening. Together, the outlets reflect an ongoing diplomatic disagreement over the meaning and impact of the ambassador’s language.
