Envoy’s Remarks Draw Manila’s Rebuke
The Philippines’ foreign ministry on Thursday night criticised Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan for what it called a “thinly veiled threat of the use of force,” The Manila Times reported. The Chinese Embassy said Jing told reporters that Beijing “may easily win” a conflict but would not use force because “we love peace.”
Earlier, at a forum in Quezon City, Jing urged face-to-face dialogue and balanced Philippine ties with China and the United States, the Philippine Star reported. The paper added that the Philippine Coast Guard separately drove away Chinese fishing boats from Lawak Island after they ignored radio challenges.
Around Taiwan, the defence ministry detected eight Chinese military aircraft sorties, nine navy ships and seven official ships in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. on Friday. All eight sorties crossed the median line.
The accounts show sharp rhetoric alongside routine patrols, not a confirmed change in military posture.