Philippine Foreign Minister Rodrigo Lochin apologized to the Chinese foreign minister via Twitter Tuesday afternoon, saying he “always had a distant dream of imitating Wang Yi’s elegance in heart and grooming, praising him as the most elegant and intelligent diplomat ever.”
Lochin also revealed that he had made a special trip to China before attending the ASEAN summit to listen to Wang Yi’s advice on Myanmar, and followed it to the letter.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs earlier protested against Chinese maritime police vessels patrolling the waters of Huangyan Island, and Lochin posted on social networking sites, telling China to get out in foul language.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte later criticized Lochin by name in a television program, stressing that China remains the Philippines’ benefactor, saying that although there are disputes between the two countries, it does not mean that they can be rude and disrespectful to others.
China’s Foreign Ministry responded on Tuesday, reiterating that Huangyan Island is Chinese territory and the nearby waters are under Chinese jurisdiction, urging the Philippines to stop making moves that complicate the situation and hoping that the Filipino people concerned will conform to basic etiquette and status when making statements.
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