The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Tuesday denounced a newly adopted Senate resolution, branding it “anti-China” and dismissing it as a “political stunt.”
In a social media statement, embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng said he “firmly rejects and strongly condemns” the measure, accusing some Philippine lawmakers of distorting facts.
“They claim they represent public opinion but actually twist facts and mislead the public. The said Senate resolution is nothing but a political stunt,” Ji declared.
The resolution, passed Monday after nearly two weeks of deliberations, censured the embassy’s remarks toward Filipino officials amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
Ji alleged it was intended to support Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela, who had displayed caricatures of Chinese President Xi Jinping during a lecture.
“What’s truly outrageous and hard to understand is that they would go so far as to condone and support a Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson maliciously smearing and attacking the leader of another country,” Ji added.
Senator Kiko Pangilinan clarified that the measure does not mention Tarriela by name, though minority bloc interpellations led by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano had focused on his actions.
The embassy vowed to resist similar initiatives, stating:
“No matter how many anti-China resolutions these people introduce, whether it’s 10 or even 100, it will not in the slightest weaken the Chinese Embassy’s resolve to fight the malicious moves against China to the very end. Not a chance.”