RETIRED US Air Force Col. Ray Powell, director of maritime security initiative SeaLight, said that China has used travel and education warnings to pressure governments in diplomatic disputes.
This comes as about 150 Chinese volunteer teachers were abruptly recalled from Philippine schools following security concerns and heightened scrutiny surrounding state-sponsored Chinese influence operations in the country.
Geopolitical analyst Herman Tiu Laurel, president of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, dismissed Powell’s allegations as speculative, saying the teachers’ parents sought their return out of concern for their children’s safety amid what he described as persistent anti-China media coverage.
The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry reportedly said the recall was approved by the organization and the Chinese Embassy in Manila following concerns raised by parents in China.
The circumstances surrounding the decision, including who ordered the teachers’ return and when, remain unclear.
Powell said no teacher, family member, or specific threat had been publicly identified to substantiate claims that the educators were in danger.
The Chinese Embassy has denounced what it called “malicious smear campaigns” and urged the Philippine government to protect the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals.
Powell said his concerns centered on the institutions involved in training and deploying the teachers, rather than on the educators themselves.
He cited records showing that Jinan University trained 43 of the 56 Filipino students in the Philippine Chinese Education Research Center’s 2024 teacher-training cohort. The university describes itself as jointly established with the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee United Front Work Department.
Powell noted that China’s volunteer-teacher position list for 2027, published around Sept. 22, contained no Philippine posts, compared with 45 positions for 2025 and 32 for 2026. He said this suggested the program might already have been undergoing a reduction before the recall became public.
Laurel said the lack of clarity over who ordered the teachers’ return undermined the allegations against Beijing. He maintained that the decision followed appeals from concerned parents worried about what he described as persistent anti-China coverage in Philippine media.
Powell cited previous disputes to support his argument that China uses travel warnings and restrictions to exert political pressure.
During the 2012 Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) standoff, China issued travel safety advice and Chinese travel agencies suspended tours to the Philippines. Chinese authorities also rejected Philippine banana shipments, citing quarantine concerns.
He cited China’s restrictions on group tours to South Korea in 2017 following Seoul’s decision to deploy a US-made missile defense system, as well as disputes involving Australia, Turkey, Japan, and Palau.
Laurel countered that travel advisories are not unique to China. He cited efforts by Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to promote tourism to the Philippines and expand flights by Chinese airlines.
He claimed Chinese tourist arrivals increased by 64 percent in 2026 but provided no supporting figures in his statement.
The reported recall has disrupted Mandarin instruction in some Manila schools, with affected students turning to substitute teachers and online classes.
Powell maintained that scrutiny of Chinese-linked education programs should not be interpreted as opposition to Chinese teachers or Mandarin instruction, but as an examination of possible political influence behind the programs.
The Department of National Defense (DND) has also defended scrutiny of foreign state-backed academic and cultural exchange programs, saying transparency is necessary to protect academic integrity and national security.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has raised concerns about Jinan University’s links to Chinese-language teacher training and its academic work questioning Philippine sovereignty over Batanes.
The DND has denied targeting Chinese schools, saying its concerns involve possible foreign influence rather than Chinese-language education itself.
