Philippines protests by summoning Chinese ambassador who said, "We will easily win if we use force"

(Hanoi = Yonhap News) Correspondent Park Jin-hyung = The Philippines, which is in conflict with China over sovereignty over the South China Sea, summoned and protested the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines who said that the Philippines could easily defeat the Philippines if it uses force.

The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on the 19th (local time) that Minister of Foreign Affairs Teresa Lazaro summoned Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jingquan and expressed "serious concern and strong opposition" to the "threatening remarks suggesting the use of force."

Minister Lazaro pointed out that Ambassador Jing's remarks were "provocative, unacceptable, and do nothing to promote mutual understanding."

He added, "As a democratic country, the Philippines values ​​freedom of expression and diverse voices," and added, "We will never tolerate attempts by foreign diplomatic missions to threaten those who exercise these rights."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also noted, “It is not the job of a foreign mission to publicly criticize or ridicule Philippine officials or lawmakers acting within their authority.”

However, he added that he would keep communication channels open with China, his largest trading partner, and work to stabilize the relationship between the two countries, focusing on non-sensitive areas.

Previously, on the 15th, Ambassador Jing made the controversial statement in response to a reporter's question about Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro's reference to China as a troublemaker in the region at a forum event held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

Ambassador Jing said the Philippines should be fortunate to have China as its neighbor, adding, "If we tried to use force, we could easily win. But we will not choose force. We love peace."

“We have peace in this region,” he said, adding, “Look at other regions: Ukraine, Gaza and even Venezuela.”

Ambassador Jing's remarks were strongly opposed by the Philippine political community. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos pointed out, "It sounds like a threat and is by no means a diplomatic statement."

Some lawmakers, including Senator Irwin Tulfo, also called for Ambassador Jing to be designated as a persona non grata and expelled.

However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maoning said in a briefing that day that some Filipino figures are "maliciously inflating" China-related issues and that they are firmly opposed to this.

He added, "Improving relations between the two countries will benefit both countries," and added, "The Philippines must take concrete measures to curb such irresponsible words and actions by some politicians."

The two countries have recently clashed one after another in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, escalating the level of conflict.