Chinese embassy: Ambassador Jing to leave PH if Marcos asks him to
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan would be willing to leave the Philippines if President Marcos asked him to do so.
China's embassy in Manila made the pronouncement on Wednesday night, Jan. 29, amid calls in Manila to recall and declare him persona non grata over the mission's remarks against Filipino officials.
Ji Lingpeng, spokesman of the embassy, said there is "no need to go through such trouble" for senators passing a resolution calling out the ambassador's behavior because "they could simply declare" him persona non grata. That is the most straightforward approach, Ji said.
As the ambassador, Jing bears responsibility for all the words and actions of the embassy, he argued.
"Ambassador Jing is appointed by President Xi Jinping and accepted by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. In the Philippines, there is but one person who has the authority to ask Ambassador Jing to leave, and that is President Marcos," the spokesman said in a statement.
"If he were to receive such notice from President Marcos, he would depart immediately," he added, noting that Jing would do that with "immense pride and honor."
Ji said the ambassador had spent 29 years as a career diplomat, including 23 years on US affairs. As such, he had "many extremely difficult moments" in China-US relations, including closing consulates, expelling diplomats, sanctioning, and trade wars.
In the US Congress, there were also anti-China bills and resolutions that were introduced, but Jing "never blinked his eyes."
He also steadfastly defended China's interests and dignity as the duty of a diplomat, Ji said.
"We would continue, without hesitation, to push back slanders and smears against China through various channels," Ji said.
"This is the most basic duty of Chinese diplomats. If a diplomat cannot even do that, then what is the point of having diplomats at all?" he added.