Philippines rebukes officials over China comments

The Philippines' foreign ministry publicly rebuked government officials and agencies on Sunday over comments about China, saying the country needed a unified diplomatic voice before a major regional summit.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said public statements that undermine the government's diplomatic approach could damage the Philippines' credibility abroad, show internal division and weaken its negotiating position. It did not identify specific incidents.

The statement was directed at the country's national security establishment and uniformed services, which have had months of heated exchanges with the Chinese embassy on social media.

The ministry said the armed services were important in documenting incidents, but stressed that “civilian authority directs the country's international relations”. It said the 2016 international court ruling that broadly rejected China's South China Sea claims came through legal proceedings, not public messaging or social media.

The Philippines and China have had years of confrontations over disputed parts of the South China Sea. Beijing claims almost the entire waterway, despite the international ruling that its position has no legal basis.

The statement followed a phone call last week in which China's top diplomat Wang Yi urged Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro to rein in politicians who he said had smeared Beijing and crossed its red lines. Lazaro described the call as frank and constructive and said both sides emphasised continued dialogue and the proper management of differences.

Manila is set to host an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit next week. US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are expected to attend, while Beijing has not yet publicly announced who it will send.