Philippines takes exception to China embassy warning of trade retaliationActivists display anti-China placards and flags during a protest at a park in Manila on June 18, 2019, after a Chinese vessel last week collided with a Philippine fishing boat which sank in the disputed South China Sea and sailed away sparking outrage. Some senators have called for the expulsion of China’s ambassador as they believe Beijing’s actions and public remarks have already crossed diplomatic lines. It was in response to those calls that embassy spokesperson Ji Linpeng warned that downgrading diplomatic relations could “cost millions of jobs,” and questioned whether lawmakers were prepared to compensate displaced workers. Specifically, Ji warned that “any serious damage to diplomatic relations, including downgrading of those relations, would cost millions of jobs.”“Are these senators prepared to personally compensate those for their lost incomes? The embassy has yet to tone down its public remarks even after the DFA has made formal representations to convey its concern about the escalation of these public exchanges.

Source: Philippine Star February 17, 2026 12:57 UTC