MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government has formally expressed alarm to Chinese diplomats regarding intensifying diplomatic exchanges concerning the protracted territorial conflict in the South China Sea. On Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila revealed it had lodged serious representations with Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian and the Chinese Embassy, highlighting concerns about the deteriorating diplomatic discourse.
The DFA cautioned that these increasingly confrontational exchanges risk undermining crucial diplomatic channels necessary for managing maritime tensions. Despite this warning, the Philippine government reaffirmed its support for officials who have vocally defended the nation’s territorial claims, including several senators.
This diplomatic friction follows Beijing’s recent summons of Philippine Ambassador Jaime FlorCruz to protest statements made by Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela, who has consistently criticized China’s assertive maneuvers in contested waters.
China maintains expansive claims over virtually the entire South China Sea—a critical global shipping corridor—despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that invalidated these claims under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Beijing, which boycotted the arbitration proceedings initiated by Manila following a 2013 territorial confrontation, continues to reject the tribunal’s decision.
Maritime confrontations have notably intensified between Chinese and Philippine vessels in recent years. Unlike other claimant states including Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, the Philippine government has adopted a strategy of transparently documenting and publicizing China’s assertive actions, including the use of powerful water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers.
The Chinese Embassy has specifically targeted Commodore Tarriela, accusing him of “persistently hyping up maritime issues, confounded right and wrong, misrepresented facts, incited confrontation, misled public opinion, undermined China’s national interests and dignity.”
Chinese Embassy deputy spokesperson Guo Wei dismissed Tarriela’s comments as “ignorant and arrogant views,” prompting the Philippine official to respond via social media with a critique of China’s restrictions on free expression.
The diplomatic spat has extended to Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros, who accused Chinese diplomats of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations by attempting to restrain Filipino officials’ expressions within their own country. Hontiveros characterized the Chinese Embassy as “a bad guest” in the Philippines.
The Chinese diplomatic mission denied any intention to silence critics but vowed to respond to attempts to “smear” China and its leadership, questioning whether Hontiveros’ criticisms served national interests or personal political ambitions. The senator is widely considered a potential contender in the 2028 presidential elections.