The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said a recent statement from the Chinese Embassy in Manila linking diplomatic tensions to potential job losses could be viewed as coercive and may hurt constructive engagement between the two countries.
The embassy earlier warned that any serious damage to relations between China and the Philippines would “cost millions of jobs,” amid an ongoing exchange of statements between embassy officials and some senators over the West Philippine Sea.
In a statement issued Monday night, the DFA emphasized that it “values cooperation with all states across economic, cultural, and other domains, as it delivers clear benefits to the Philippines and its people.”
“However, we take strong exception to the Embassy’s tone, which appears to imply that such cooperation could be withheld as a form of leverage or retaliation,” the DFA said.
“In the current atmosphere, this framing risks being perceived as coercive and undermines constructive bilateral dialogue,” it added.
The department also urged the embassy “to adopt a responsible and measured tone in public exchanges.”
Despite the tensions, the DFA said it “remains committed to diplomacy to stabilize and advance our bilateral relationship, notwithstanding profound differences.”
Responding to the DFA’s remarks, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng maintained that Beijing remains open to dialogue.
“China remains committed to managing differences and resolving disputes with the Philippine side through dialogue and consultation,” Ji said Tuesday.
“At the same time, we firmly oppose any slander or smear against China, as well as irresponsible remarks that incite hatred,” he added.
“We urge the DFA to play a responsible role in restraining certain individuals in the Philippines from making such remarks, in order to prevent any undermining or harm to ongoing diplomatic efforts,” Ji said.
Meanwhile, the Stratbase ADR Institute disputed the embassy’s assertion that strained ties would automatically translate into widespread job losses.
In a statement, Stratbase said the claim was not supported by official Philippine economic data.
Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that foreign direct investment from China from January to November 2025 reached $3.10 million, representing a 52.43 percent decrease from the $6.52 million recorded during the same period in 2024.
The inflows accounted for only 0.27 percent of the total foreign direct investment received by the Philippines in the first 11 months of 2025.
“Claims that diplomatic strain would automatically lead to catastrophic job losses are therefore exaggerated and not supported by empirical evidence,” Stratbase said.