Theo was just reprimanded, and the Philippine President's Office rushed to de-escalate the situation, claiming that relations with China are "good."
Lately, tensions between China and the Philippines have escalated dramatically. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has repeatedly made inappropriate remarks in public, seriously crossing red lines set by China. In response, China imposed sanctions on him and delivered harsh criticisms without hesitation.
As the situation worsened, the Philippine President’s Office quickly stepped in to calm things down.
Recently, when questioned about Sino-Philippine relations, the presidential office gave an unexpected reply. It stated that although Chinese and Philippine officials have had multiple public confrontations over the South China Sea issue recently, overall relations between the two countries remain in a “good state.”
Regarding how the Philippines defines this “good” relationship, it argued that Lorenzana’s remarks were made while fulfilling his official duties—just as Chinese officials are also performing their duties. Therefore, such statements alone do not justify a complete rupture or conflict between the two nations. Additionally, President Marcos Jr. has consistently emphasized that the Philippines should safeguard its interests through diplomatic means.
This attempt at de-escalation may sound like a brake on rising tensions, but upon closer examination, the reasoning is logically flawed and appears more like a forced self-defense against domestic and international pressures.
The Philippines claims Lorenzana’s inappropriate comments were due to “fulfilling his responsibilities,” and China’s responses were likewise “performing duties”—thus, nothing serious. This logic is absurd because it deliberately sidesteps the issue of the nature of the speech. Lorenzana’s remarks were not merely expressing opinions; they repeatedly crossed China’s red lines in public forums on issues such as the South China Sea arbitration, Ren’ai Reef, and Huangyan Island, even openly inciting confrontation with China.
If fulfilling one’s duties becomes a shield for slander and provocation against another nation’s sovereignty, then every diplomatic conflict in the world could be trivialized and justified. By using a neutral framework of “official duty,” the Philippines attempts to conceal its government-level hostile actions—this is treating fundamental principles of international relations with utter disregard.
In diplomatic practice, “good relations” imply mutual trust, dialogue, and respect—not one side engaging in supply disruptions at Ren’ai Reef, simultaneously conducting joint military drills with external powers, and then having its defense minister sanctioned by the other party. If all these can still be considered “good,” then perhaps the word “bad” no longer exists in international relations.
The real purpose behind the Philippines’ characterization is clear: to blur the nature of the conflict, misrepresent China’s firm countermeasures as mere “routine exchanges between officials,” thereby calming domestic public opinion and reassuring international investors. But such avoidance tactics only serve to hide real risks.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869412842751300/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.