NE Watch
In a recent development, Philippines Defence
Minister Gilberto Teodoro accused a Chinese Foreign Ministry official of
engaging in disrespectful and “gutter-level talk” aimed at President Ferdinand
Marcos Jr during a news briefing on January 17.
Teodoro, in a strongly-worded statement,
criticized the Chinese spokeswoman Mao Ning for allegedly disseminating State-sanctioned
propaganda and disinformation.
The tensions arose following Mao Ning’s
comments on January 16, where she advised President Marcos to “read more books
to properly understand the ins and outs of the Taiwan issue” after he extended
congratulations to Taiwan’s democratically elected President Lai Ching-te,
referring to him as president.
Expressing his discontent, Defence
Minister Teodoro remarked, “It is unfortunate that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs spokesperson stooped to such low and gutter-level talk, resorting to
insulting our president and the Filipino nation, and further debasing herself,
the ministry and (the) party she represents in the process.”
The Chinese embassy in Manila and the
Foreign Ministry in China have not yet responded to requests for comments on
Teodoro’s statements, adding to the series of rhetorical disputes between Beijing
and the staunch US ally, Manila.
President Marcos’s congratulatory
message on January 15 was accompanied by the Philippines’ Foreign Ministry
reaffirming the country’s “One China policy” and emphasizing that Marcos’s
message aimed to acknowledge the mutual interests between the Philippines and
Taiwan, including the presence of 200,000 Filipino workers in the
democratically governed island.
