Key facts
- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may summon China's ambassador.
- Ambassador Jing Quan suggested China could easily win a conflict with the Philippines if it used force.
- Marcos Jr. described the ambassador's remarks as sounding "very much like a threat."
- The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs called the envoy's comments "regrettable."
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he may summon China's ambassador, Jing Quan, after the envoy made remarks that sounded like a threat. The comments, made after a speech in Quezon City on Thursday, suggested Beijing could easily win a conflict with the Philippines if it used force, though Quan added that China loves peace. Marcos Jr. described the remarks as "very much like a threat" and "not a very diplomatic statement." The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs called the comments "regrettable" and a "thinly veiled threat." China's embassy in Manila criticized the DFA for "selective quotation and overinterpretation," stating that bilateral relations are at an "extremely sensitive stage."