Philippines protests Chinese ambassador’s remarks — The Hindu

On October 16, 2026, the Philippines lodged a protest over remarks by China’s ambassador to Manila, Jing Quan. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the country’s government described the diplomat’s words as a thinly veiled threat to use force amid the long-running territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

Chinese ambassador’s statement

As The Hindu reports, on October 15, during a forum in Manila, the Chinese ambassador was asked about an assessment by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. He had previously called China a source of problems in the region.

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Jing Quan rejected this assessment, calling it nonsense. He also said that the Philippines should consider itself lucky to have China as a neighbor.

Territorial dispute

China and the Philippines have long been in conflict over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Manila’s protest marked another escalation in the dispute between the two Asian countries.