MANILA— Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela described as a direct threat the statement of Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan that China could “easily win” if it resorted to force.

Jing made the remark during an ambush interview following his keynote speech at a dialogue at Diliman Preparatory School in Quezon City. He said China would not use force and that the region should feel fortunate to have Beijing as a neighbor.

“And we love peace. And in this region, we enjoy the peace,” the Chinese envoy said.

In a statement, Tarriela criticized Jing for making the remark while in the Philippines, which had welcomed and accredited him and extended the courtesies due to a diplomat.

“That is not reassurance. That is a direct threat, and wrapping it in ‘We love peace’ does not change what it is,” Tarriela said.

He argued that telling a host country that its neighbor could easily defeat it militarily, but had chosen not to, was not an expression of friendship.

Tarriela also disputed the suggestion that Filipinos should feel fortunate to have China as a neighbor, citing incidents involving Filipino fishermen and Coast Guard personnel in the West Philippine Sea.

He said fishermen driven away from Bajo de Masinloc and Coast Guard personnel subjected to water cannon attacks, ramming and laser incidents within the country’s exclusive economic zone had little reason to feel fortunate.

“No people feel fortunate when a larger neighbor repeatedly violates the law and then tells them to be thankful it was not worse,” he said.

The Coast Guard official cited Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force, and the 2016 Arbitral Award, which ruled China’s claims in the West Philippine Sea to be without legal basis.

“The Philippines does not measure its rights by the size of its neighbor’s military. We measure them by international law,” Tarriela said.

“Not using force against a country whose rights you are already violating is not peace. It is coercion by other means.”

Jing’s remarks followed his rejection of Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s description of China as Southeast Asia’s “troublemaker,” which the Chinese envoy called “nonsense.”