Manila takes “strong exception” to a statement by the Chinese embassy in Manila that the simmering diplomatic spat between the two countries could result in millions of jobs being lost, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said, adding that such comments could be seen as coercive.
The Philippines and China have had repeated maritime confrontations in the contested South China Sea, and there have been sharp exchanges between the Chinese embassy and Philippine officials.
Some Philippine senators have said China’s ambassador should be recalled, remarks that prompted the embassy last week to warn that any serious damage to bilateral ties would “cost millions of jobs.”
Photo: AP
“We take strong exception to the embassy’s tone, which appears to imply that such cooperation could be withheld as a form of leverage or retaliation,” the department said in a statement issued late on Monday.
“In the current atmosphere, this framing risks being perceived as coercive and undermines constructive bilateral dialogue,” it added, while calling on Chinese diplomats to “adopt a responsible and measured tone in public exchanges.”
The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday, the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The Philippines has accused China of aggressive actions inside its exclusive economic zones in the South China Sea, including dangerous maneuvers, water-cannoning and disrupting resupply missions.
China, in turn, has accused the Philippines of intruding into what it claims as its territory.
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