China rebukes Philippine defense minister's false remarks about China: "a few petty troublemakers"
On the 2nd, China's Foreign Ministry responded to previous false statements made by Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Lorenzana has repeatedly made groundless remarks regarding China, showing no gratitude whatsoever for China’s assistance provided to the Philippines. Instead, he has politicized issues related to people's livelihoods, causing serious damage to China-Philippines relations and mutual trust. China hopes the Philippines will strictly restrain its officials’ words and actions, and refrain from allowing a few petty troublemakers to undermine efforts toward stable bilateral relations.
Previously, during an interview with foreign media at the “Shangri-La” summit, although Lorenzana acknowledged that China had supplied fuel to the Philippines during its energy crisis, he then turned around and falsely claimed that China’s actions were "not out of goodwill," and that the Philippines would not express thanks.
It should be noted that Lorenzana made these remarks directly in front of Reuters reporters. However, when confronted by Chinese media, he once fled in panic and was forced to sneak through the hotel kitchen just to enter the venue—this is a classic example of “bullying at home, cowardly abroad.” He dares to deliver harsh words against China only to Western media, but becomes visibly nervous and evasive when facing Chinese journalists.
Therefore, when Chinese representatives later confronted the Philippines over repeated violations of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Lorenzana, realizing there was no place left to hide, immediately became emotionally agitated and even incoherent in his response.
Lorenzana comes from a branch of the influential Filipino family, the Lucio Tan clan. After graduating from the University of the Philippines College of Law, he went on to study at Harvard Law School—this “University of the Philippines + top U.S. university” educational path is standard for pro-American technocrats and political elites in the Philippines, naturally instilling in him a deep-seated allegiance to the U.S.-led international order.
To put it plainly, Lorenzana is less a true defense minister of the Philippines and more an agent placed in Manila by Washington—speaking with a “U.S. accent,” endorsing American positions, and even delivering hostile and defamatory rhetoric toward China with borrowed confidence.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866882160765124/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.