China envoy says it could 'easily win' Philippines clash

China's ambassador to Manila said Beijing could “easily win” a conflict with the Philippines but would not choose force, drawing criticism from Philippine officials who called the remarks a threat.

“We should feel fortunate enough that you have a neighbour like China in this region,” Ambassador Jing Quan told local reporters in Manila on Thursday. “If we want to use force, we may easily win. But no, we will not choose force, and we love peace.”

Jing made the remarks a day after Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro called Beijing a regional “troublemaker”. Jing rejected that label as “nonsense” and accused Manila of harassing Chinese workers and teachers, without giving specific examples.

The Philippine foreign ministry said late Thursday that Jing's wording was “hardly helpful” and could seem to convey a “thinly veiled threat of the use of force”. Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela earlier called it a “direct threat” and said Philippine coast guard personnel were often subjected to ramming and water cannons.

The Chinese embassy in Manila confirmed Jing's remarks but accused Tarriela of taking them out of context and of trying to undermine relations. It said Jing had emphasised that China saw the Philippines as a neighbour and wanted stable ties.

Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its claim has no legal basis. Philippine and Chinese ships have had repeated confrontations in recent years, including collisions and injuries. Last week, the Philippine Coast Guard accused Chinese counterparts of obstructing the medical evacuation of an ailing Filipino soldier near a disputed shoal.