MANILA— The Chinese Embassy in Manila and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela exchanged sharp remarks on social media after the embassy issued a statement calling for dialogue and an end to hostilities in the Middle East.

In its statement, China said it was closely monitoring developments in the Middle East, the Gulf region and the Red Sea, expressing concern over prolonged conflicts and their spillover effects.

“We call on relevant parties to resolve their disputes through dialogue and negotiation and realize a lasting ceasefire and cessation of hostilities at an early date,” the embassy said in a post on Sunday.

China also opposed sanctions, coercion and military action, saying these measures would be counterproductive. It expressed hope that the Strait of Hormuz would soon return to normal operations and safe passage.

The statement further called on countries to respect one another’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, refrain from interfering in internal affairs and consider the reasonable security concerns of other nations.

Reacting to the embassy’s remarks, Tarriela questioned whether Beijing genuinely stood by the principles it had outlined.

“WOWOW! DOES THE CHINESE EMBASSY REALLY BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT THEY WROTE HERE: ©

“China believes all countries should respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs, and take seriously the reasonable security concerns of all countries. We must firmly uphold true multilateralism, the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law. China will continue to promote peace talks and work with the international community to make unremitting efforts for the early realization of peace and stability in the Middle East.””

The embassy responded to Tarriela’s initial comment: “Of course. Learn more, or stay ignorant.”

Tarriela then accused the embassy of spreading falsehoods in a separate statement, shifting the discussion to China’s participation in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).

He alleged that Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro obstructed China’s participation, claiming that other member states had received their invitations in late September or early October.

According to Tarriela’s statement, the Department of National Defense sent China’s invitation only on October 22, following objections from other ASEAN countries. He said the letter was signed by a defense undersecretary and was undated.

Tarriela further claimed that China had fewer than five working days to prepare and only two days to complete its registration, making the arrangements difficult.

He contrasted the Philippines’ alleged handling of the invitation with China’s participation in multilateral defense cooperation with ASEAN, saying Beijing had not singled out the Philippines and still managed to send a delegation despite the short notice.

“Tarriela, if you don’t know what actually happened, go ask Teodoro, the DND, or the other participating countries. Stop spreading lies, distorting facts, and turning right into wrong when you don’t even have a clear understanding of the situation. Don’t deliberately stir up controversy and sow discord based on misinformation,” the Chinese Embassy said.