Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. clapped back at Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, for stooping down a “low level of conversation” to criticize President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s congratulatory message to Taiwan’s president-elect Lai Ching-te on Monday.

“It is unfortunate that the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson stooped to such low and gutter level talk—resorting to insulting our President and the Filipino nation, and further debasing herself, the Ministry, and Party she represents in the process,” Teodoro said in a statement Wednesday night. 

In her regular press briefing, Mao conveyed Beijing’s “strong dissatisfaction with and resolutely opposes” Marcos’ remarks, noting that it is “a serious breach of the political commitments made by the Philippines to the Chinese side and a gross interference in China’s internal affairs.” 

Teodoro said the Philippines’ system of governance is incomparable to China as the Philippines enjoys democratic governance like Taiwan. 

“We should not at all be surprised—being a nation and people enjoying the privileges, rights, and freedoms of a democratic society—that an agent of a Party and system of government incompatible with our way of life and who routinely spouts State-sanctioned propaganda and disinformation would go that far and that low,” he said. 

“It is unfortunate, but I am, myself, unsurprised,” he added.

Teodoro said Mao’s statements were “on brand.” He was pertaining to China’s narratives on its vast territorial claims, including the West Philippine Sea and Taiwan Strait. 

“We, and the world, should not expect more,” he noted. 

For the past years, China has strengthened its military pressure against democratically-government Taiwan, an island it claims as Chinese territory. 

Tensions have further increased amid reports that China has been preparing to invade Taiwan. 

The country’s naval detachment in Mavulis Island located within Itbayat, Batanes has a distance of 140 kilometers from Taiwan Strait—which China claims is not an international waters.