Philippine foreign ministry tells officials to align China remarks with Marcos policy after Wang Yi warns of ‘malicious disruptions’

The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs rebuked Philippine officials over their comments on China and said those remarks must align with Marcos’s policy⁴. The ministry urged officials to coordinate their statements on China⁶ and to cool their rhetoric toward Beijing⁵.

The department said diplomacy is the Philippines’ primary tool in managing disputes with China². It defended its approach to Beijing and called for unity in Philippine foreign policy³. In a statement on Sunday, Nov. 8, the department said the two sides had reaffirmed the value of continued dialogue and open channels of communication¹⁰. The department also took a swipe at Teodoro over China policy while defending Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro’s diplomacy⁷.

The dispute follows a Nov. 3 telephone call between Lazaro and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which the department said was part of efforts to keep bilateral relations stable⁷. In China’s account of the call, Wang Yi said China-Philippines relations face “malicious disruptions” and pointed to “a handful of Philippine politicians”¹. Those are the Chinese government’s claims.

Why it matters to investors

The South China Sea remains the core of the dispute. China claims nearly the entirety of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, the part that lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone⁴. An international court broadly rejected China’s claims in 2016⁶. The Philippines and China have been involved in repeated confrontations in the disputed waters⁵.

Economic ties are part of Manila’s calculation. The Lazaro-Wang call was aimed at maintaining stable bilateral ties², amid continuing tensions³. A group of 20 organisations urged Manila and Beijing to keep talking, saying continued diplomatic engagement is necessary⁸. Groups backing the department called its approach to China “statesmanlike” and urged sustained dialogue between Manila and Beijing to protect economic ties⁹.

What to watch

The key question is whether officials outside the foreign ministry, including Teodoro, follow the instruction to align their statements with Marcos’s policy^4,7.

A second is Beijing’s response. Wang Yi’s complaint about Philippine politicians¹ is the backdrop to the ministry’s instruction to officials⁴, and any further statement from Beijing will show whether the call calmed or sharpened the dispute.

A third is whether the commitment to dialogue and open channels¹⁰ holds through the next confrontation at sea⁵.