QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan has hit back at Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. for branding Beijing as the region’s “troublemaker,” asserting that China possesses the military capacity to easily prevail in a conflict but chooses peace instead.
Speaking during an ambush interview after delivering his keynote address at the Diliman Preparatory School in Quezon City on Thursday, October 15, Jing told the Philippines that it should value having Beijing as a regional neighbor.
“And now, we should feel fortunate enough that you have a neighbor like China in this region,” he said.
The envoy maintained that Beijing has no desire to leverage its military might despite its capabilities.
“You know, if we want to use force, we easily win, but no. We will not use this force, and we love peace. And in this region, we enjoy the peace,” he stated.
Jing further argued that groundless claims against China are being manufactured intentionally to stir up bilateral animosity.
“That’s nonsense. Troublemaker. Who’s the troublemaker? Look at who go after Chinese teachers? They’re innocent. Who led the army to arrest Chinese innocent workers? Who every day smear, attack China?” Jing remarked.
Addressing regional stability, the ambassador urged Southeast Asian nations to cooperate and foster solidarity amid ongoing global conflicts. On the long-delayed Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, Jing noted that Beijing remains heavily engaged in negotiations and looks forward to a final resolution.
The remarks follow Defense Secretary Teodoro’s counter-statement on October 14, where he dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte’s characterization of the Philippines as a regional troublemaker.
Teodoro argued that the label accurately applies to China due to its aggressive actions toward Filipino personnel at sea, maintaining that Manila is simply safeguarding its sovereign maritime rights.