MANILA— Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan questioned why the government would not consider closing the entire Chinese Embassy, following calls from lawmakers to expel some Chinese diplomatic officials amid tensions over the West Philippine Sea.

The ambassador’s statement came after Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon suggested expelling lower-ranking Chinese diplomats if the government decided against declaring Jing persona non grata.

“So yun ang maganda pag-alalaan DFA at ng ating Pangulo. Kung hindi po papaalisin po yung Embahador, yung po ang mga lesser diplomats na lang po yung pong palayasin particularly because nag-usap na kahapon marami pa rin ho silang sinasabi hanggang ngayon,” Ridon said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had summoned Jing to convey the Philippines’ “serious concern and strong objection” to his recent remarks.

“It is not the place of a foreign mission to publicly criticize or taunt Philippine officials and legislators who are acting within their mandates. As a democracy, the Philippines values freedom of expression and a plurality of voices, and it will not accept attempts by a foreign envoy to intimidate those who exercise them,” the DFA said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rejected calls to declare Jing persona non grata, despite appeals from lawmakers to expel some Chinese Embassy officials over the dispute in the West Philippine Sea.

The tensions come amid the longstanding maritime dispute between Manila and Beijing. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, finding that China’s claims to historic rights within the South China Sea had “no legal basis.”

China has refused to recognize the ruling.