Chinese Ambassador blasts Manila's "selective" law enforcement

In a social media video posted by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines on Saturday, Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan criticized what he described as "selective law enforcement targeting Chinese citizens." He pointed to the case involving the Sanjia steel plant, where a joint government operation in May resulted in the arrest of around 70 Chinese nationals. The detainees were held for more than a month before being released. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who took part in the operation, accused the detainees of engaging in illegal activities, including discharging untreated wastewater into rivers. The Chinese Embassy later rejected the allegations, pointing to decisions by the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) in May and July to dismiss complaints against the Chinese workers. According to the embassy, the DOJ cited a "lack of prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction" in dismissing the cases. Jing's remarks are among a series of statements from the Chinese Embassy demanding greater clarity over the details and conduct of the operation. Throughout August, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has issued multiple statements questioning the legitimacy of the operation and raising concerns over Teodoro's involvement, what it described as selective arrests, alleged misinformation, and the conditions in which the detainees were held. "Does every time a factory has some kind of problem require the defense secretary to bring in the military to make arrests?" Jing asked, adding that "this is clearly about targeting Chinese people." #China #Philippines #ChinaDiplomacy