Manila takes exception to China embassy commentReuters, MANILAManila takes “strong exception” to a statement by the Chinese embassy in Manila that the simmering diplomatic spat between the two countries could result in millions of jobs being lost, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said, adding that such comments could be seen as coercive. The Philippines and China have had repeated maritime confrontations in the contested South China Sea, and there have been sharp exchanges between the Chinese embassy and Philippine officials. Photo: AP“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 department said in a statement issued late on Monday. The Philippines has accused China of aggressive actions inside its exclusive economic zones in the South China Sea, including dangerous maneuvers, water-cannoning and disrupting resupply missions. China, in turn, has accused the Philippines of intruding into what it claims as its territory.

Source: Taipei Times February 17, 2026 18:45 UTC