MANILA – The Philippine government rejected China’s latest safety advisory warning its students against traveling to the country, calling the alert “inaccurate” and a misrepresentation of the actual security situation on the ground.

“The relevant advisory issued by the Chinese Ministry of Education mischaracterizes the situation in the Philippines,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

Beijing issued the July 18 alert citing a “deteriorating public security situation” and an “increasing number of criminal incidents targeting Chinese citizens.”

This marks the second time this year that China has raised safety concerns in the Philippines. In April, the Chinese Embassy in Manila released a similar statement citing an unstable security environment.

The DFA said Philippine law enforcement agencies are actively responding to crimes involving Chinese nationals, whether as victims or perpetrators, including those involving foreign nationals among themselves.

“All instances of crimes, including those involving Chinese and other foreign nationals as well as those perpetrated by foreign nationals against their own, are being addressed by relevant law enforcement authorities,” the DFA said.

The department added that it has formally raised its concerns with Beijing over the contents of the advisory.

“The Department has conveyed its concerns regarding the inaccuracies in the advisory issued by the Chinese Ministry of Education through diplomatic channels. It is hoped that the Chinese side will undertake the necessary corrections,” it said.

Despite the disagreement, the DFA said the Philippines remains open to continued engagement with China. (PNA)