Lawmakers belonging to the House Young Guns have rejected statements made by Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan that China “will not use this force, and we love peace,” asserting that issuing a threat does not constitute a guarantee of peace and calling for a formal diplomatic protest.
In a joint statement, Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V, Deputy Speaker Jefferson Khonghun, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, and Manila Rep. Ernix Dionisio stated that threats cannot be framed as assurances of peace, urging the public to reject arguments that treat non-escalation by a stronger nation as true peace.
During a recent engagement, Ambassador Jing said, “If we want to use force, we easily win, but no. We will not use this force, and we love peace.”
The lawmakers countered that the first half of the statement invalidates the second part, arguing that reminding a sovereign neighbor of an ability to defeat it by force while claiming restraint is not diplomacy, but rather intimidation dressed as goodwill.
Ortega, who represents La Union, noted that when a major power tells a smaller country that it could easily prevail through force, it is not offering security, but asserting dominance while expecting silence in return.
“That is the opposite of peace,” Ortega said.
Khonghun emphasized that real peace relies on mutual respect and compliance with international law rather than the patience of a stronger state, pointing out that the Philippines has never asked China for mercy.
“We have asked only for compliance with UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award. China’s continued water-cannoning, ramming, and blocking of Philippine vessels show that the restraint it advertises is selective and conditional,” Khonghun said.
Dionisio added that the ambassador’s comments highlight a sharp disconnect between official Chinese declarations and physical operations in disputed waters.
“Declaring that you will not use force after first advertising that you can easily win is not reassurance—it is a threat with a smile,” Dionisio said.
“True peace requires China to stop harassing our fishermen and Coast Guard, respect the 2016 Arbitral Award, and abandon the idea that might make right in the West Philippine Sea. Anything less is just coercion by another name,” Dionisio also said.
The group highlighted that the Department of Foreign Affairs categorized the ambassador’s remarks as a thinly veiled threat, while Philippine Coast Guard officials appropriately rejected assertions that Filipinos should consider themselves fortunate under current maritime conditions.
The lawmakers stressed that Filipino fisherfolk and uniformed personnel encountering dangerous maneuvers in the West Philippine Sea experience neither peace nor fortune.
“A guest who reminds his host that he could beat him, but has decided not to, is not describing friendship. He is describing a relationship of inequality that the Philippines will never accept,” the House Young Guns said.
The lawmakers reaffirmed their support for the national government’s stance on Philippine sovereign rights, defense and maritime modernization programs, and ongoing partnerships with international allies supporting a rules-based order.