MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the latest "undiplomatic" social media statements of the Chinese Embassy in Manila severely undermined the efforts to stabilize and improve bilateral relations between the two countries.
The embassy said the lawmakers who wanted to declare Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan are not welcome to China and even dared them to also seek the closure of the embassy.
"The escalatory and undiplomatic tone and language used in the latest social media statements of the Chinese Embassy erode mutual trust and confidence," the DFA said a statement on Thursday.
The Foreign Affairs department said "all diplomats were expected to conduct and express themselves in a manner befitting diplomatic envoys, especially on social media."
The Philippines values its relations with China, the DFA said. It also reaffirmed the Philippines’ continued adherence to its One China Policy.
But the embassy's recent public statements "do not reflect the longstanding spirit of constructive engagement between the two countries and the two foreign ministries," it stressed.
"Such statements are not conducive to good relations nor to the effective discharge of diplomatic functions," the DFA said.
The DFA reiterated that it "reserves the right to take further diplomatic action as it deems necessary."
The DFA noted that One China Policy, anchored on the 1975 Philippines-China Joint Communique, underscored the government's "consistent position that the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government of China."
"We fully understand and respect the position of the Chinese Government that there is but one China and that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory," it said.
"Throughout the years, the Philippines’ relevant regulations reflect the country’s unwavering implementation of its One China Policy," the DFA added.
