October 19th, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning presided over a routine press conference.
A AFP reporter asked about some remarks made by China's Ambassador to the Philippines, Jing Quan, last week. The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it met with Ambassador Jing Quan. What is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs's comment on this?
Mao Ning said that improving relations between China and the Philippines serves the common interests of both countries. At the same time, we firmly oppose the malicious manipulation of issues related to China by some individuals in the Philippines, which aims to undermine Sino-Philippine relations. The Philippine side should effectively regulate the irresponsible actions of certain politicians.
Last Thursday, during a forum in Manila, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan was questioned by reporters about the remarks made by Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro regarding China as a “trouble maker” in the region. Jing Quan said that such statements were “absurd,” and added that the Philippines should be fortunate to have a neighbor like China.
The Philippines should be grateful to have China as a neighbor. If we were to use force, it would be possible to win easily. But we will not use force, because we love peace.
Jing Quan emphasized, "We hope that countries in this region, especially those in East Asia and Southeast Asia, will work together to cherish peace and seek common development. China is willing to share its development experience and technology with neighboring countries. We hope that all countries will see China's development as an opportunity, not a threat."
According to the Associated Press, Philippine President Marcos and his government protested the statements made by Ambassador Jingquan, claiming them to be 'almost undisguised threats of force'.
