THE Chinese Embassy in Manila and Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela continued to trade barbs over the weekend, with each suggesting the other party was “ignorant.”
In a social media post, the embassy reacted to Tarriela’s suggestion that Ambassador Jing Quan was a loose cannon who did not reflect the stand of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"That leaves an obvious question: if the ambassador's words reflect Beijing's policy, why would the Foreign Ministry not say so? And if they don't, then who exactly is Ambassador Jing speaking for? Is he a loose cannon that the Chinese Embassy in Manila is now scrambling to reframe?" Tarriela wrote.
In a social media post, the embassy retaliated against Tarriela’s earlier post dismissing the PCG spokesman’s claims.
“The ignorant are fearless,” the embassy simply said.
The latest row was triggered by a comment by Jing that China could easily win a war with the Philippines, but would not choose force because it “loves peace.”
The statement prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to summon him to discuss his pronouncements.
Several lawmakers, however, argued that summoning the Chinese ambassador was not enough and urged the president to declare Jing persona non grata.
While he has yet to meet the president, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) subsequently met the Chinese ambassador to express serious concern and strong objections over statements deemed provocative and threatening.
However, in a separate social media post, the embassy said it does not accept the DFA’s statement regarding the “attacks and smears on China.”
“The embassy is always committed to managing differences with the Philippines through diplomatic channel. Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy will not remain silent when China’s interests and dignity are undermined. This is the duty that a diplomatic mission must perform,” the embassy’s statement reads.
It noted, however, that it appreciates Manila’s stance on maintaining its adherence to the one-China policy.
“Under current circumstances, this public statement is timely and necessary in preventing certain forces from sabotaging China-Philippines relations by playing with the Taiwan question,” it added.
Tarriela taunted the Chinese Embassy in Manila over its “The ignorant are fearless” remark, asking whether it was referring to Ambassador Jing amid a diplomatic row over his statement that China could “easily win” in a confrontation with the Philippines.
In a social media post on Saturday, Tarriela juxtaposed his earlier question about whether Jing was a “loose cannon” with the embassy’s response, turning the remark into a pointed question about the Chinese ambassador.
“My post: Is Jing Quan a loose cannon?
“China Embassy: The ignorant are fearless!
“Question: Are they referring to Jing Quan? Is he fearless?” Tarriela wrote.
The embassy’s post did not explicitly identify whom it was calling “ignorant.”
The latest exchange followed Tarriela’s criticism of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for emphasizing Beijing’s desire to improve relations with Manila rather than directly addressing Jing’s controversial remarks.
In its social media post, the embassy reproduced an excerpt from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning’s Oct. 16 press briefing, during which Reuters asked about Jing’s statement that China could “easily win” in a confrontation with the Philippines, despite saying Beijing would not use force.
Mao responded that China’s position on improving and growing its ties with the Philippines was clear and expressed hope that Manila would have a “full and accurate understanding” of it.
Tarriela questioned why the Foreign Ministry had not explicitly defended Jing’s statement if it reflected Beijing’s policy, asking whether the embassy was distancing itself from its own ambassador.
