China Calls Philippines Ties 'Critical Juncture' After War Remark — SkimNews
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- China's Ambassador to Manila Jing Quan said at a Diliman Dialogues event that China could "easily win" a war with the Philippines, calling Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro's description of China as the region's lone "troublemaker" "nonsense."
- The Chinese embassy issued a statement declaring China-Philippines relations at "an extremely sensitive and critical juncture," blaming "outside forces" — implicitly the US and its allies — and accusing unnamed "anti-China politicians" of distorting facts for political gain.
- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr called Jing's remarks "very much like a threat" and announced he would summon the ambassador, the second such summons since Jing began his posting in December; the first came in July after a Philippine marine was injured at Second Thomas Shoal.
- Vice President Sara Duterte became the flashpoint on October 6 when allegations surfaced that Chinese entities sent just over $5 million in remittances to a Philippine company linked to her husband — claims that emerged during her ongoing impeachment trial.
- Marcos declared the alleged Chinese funding "a threat at the highest level to the republic," while Sara Duterte fired back that the Philippines was becoming Southeast Asia's main "troublemaker" by treating routine business ties with Beijing as a national security issue.
- The Philippines' carefully calibrated US-China balancing act has shifted since Marcos took office in 2022 and re-strengthened ties with Washington, reversing the China-friendly turn initiated by President Rodrigo Duterte in late 2016.
Why it matters: With the 2028 Philippine presidential election approaching, the Marcos and Sara Duterte camps risk weaponizing China policy for domestic gain, which could erode Manila's stable approach to South China Sea confrontations that are already at their worst point in years. Jing's reference to "outside forces" implicitly pressures Manila to choose between Beijing and Washington — precisely the binary both governments publicly reject.
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