MANILA, Philippines — House Young Guns lawmakers on Friday rejected Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s claim that China loves peace despite his warning that Beijing could easily defeat the Philippines by force.
“If we want to use force, we easily win, but no. We will not use this force, and we love peace,” Jing said.
The lawmakers said the ambassador’s remarks contradicted his claim of peaceful intentions, arguing that a country cannot threaten a smaller neighbor and portray its decision not to use force as a gesture of goodwill.
“When a larger power tells a smaller nation that it could easily win if it chose force, it is not offering security. It is asserting dominance and expecting silence in return,” Deputy Speaker Francisco Paolo Ortega V said.
Deputy Speaker Jefferson Khonghun said China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea, including water-cannon attacks, ramming and blocking Philippine vessels, further undermined its claims of peaceful intentions.
“The Philippines has never asked China for mercy. We have asked only for compliance with UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” Khonghun said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
Congressman Ernix Dionisio said China must stop harassing Filipino fishermen and Coast Guard personnel and respect the arbitral ruling.
“Declaring that you will not use force after first advertising that you can easily win is not reassurance—it is a threat with a smile,” Dionisio said.
The House Young Guns noted that the Department of Foreign Affairs had described Jing’s remarks as a thinly veiled threat. They also rejected the suggestion that Filipinos should feel “fortunate” because China had supposedly chosen not to use force.
The lawmakers called for a formal diplomatic protest and reaffirmed their support for the government’s defense of Philippine sovereign rights and the modernization of the country’s maritime and defense capabilities.
Representative Zia Alonto Adiong said peace should be measured by justice, the safety of Filipino fishermen and the Philippines’ freedom to exercise its rights within its exclusive economic zone.
“We measure it by the presence of justice, the security of our fishermen, and the freedom to exercise our rights within our own exclusive economic zone,” Adiong said.
