Chinese envoy to abide if declared persona non grata by Marcos

The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Thursday said Ambassador Jing Quan will immediately depart the Philippines but "with immense pride and honor," should President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos declare him persona non grata over the heated exchanges between Filipino and Chinese officials.

Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng said this when asked about the proposed resolution signed by 15 senators denouncing the recent statements of the embassy against Filipino government officials who criticized Beijing's aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea. 

"I think there is no need to go through such trouble. They could simply declare Ambassador Jing Quan 'persona non grata'—that would be the most straightforward approach. As ambassador, he bears responsibility for all words and actions of the Chinese Embassy," Ji said.

He said Jing was appointed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and was accepted by Marcos, thus only the Philippine President has the authority to ask the ambassador to leave the country. 

"If he were to receive such notice from President Marcos, he would depart immediately. But he would do so with immense pride and honor, knowing that through his actions, he has fulfilled the firm commitment a Chinese diplomat makes to his country," the embassy spokesman said. 

Should any Chinese diplomat be declared persona non grata, Ji also asked to be included himself and the entire 12-member media affairs and public diplomacy team of the embassy. 

"As a team, we stay or leave, together," he said. 

"Rest assured that even if the embassy were to be closed, we would continue, without hesitation, to push back slanders and smears against China through various channels. This is the most basic duty of Chinese diplomats," he added. 

The resolution, which was signed by 15 Philippine senators, condemned the recent public statements issued by the Chinese Embassy, which they described as "contrary to accepted standards of diplomatic conduct and mutual respect between states."

The senators thus called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to take the necessary diplomatic measures to uphold the dignity of the Philippines and to ensure that relations with other states are conducted in accordance with international law and established principles of state relations. 

During the plenary session at the Senate on Tuesday, Senator JV Ejercito said Jing should be replaced due to the embassy's statements against Filipino officials, particularly Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela.

Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, meanwhile, floated the possibility of declaring Chinese Embassy deputy spokesperson Guo Wei persona non grata. 

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, on the other hand, had manifested to conduct a committee hearing on the exchanges first, before the Senate proceeded with the plenary consideration of the proposed resolution. — VDV, GMA Integrated News