China on Friday lodged diplomatic protests against Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela, accusing him of “attacking and smearing” Chinese leaders on social media posts, which constitutes a “blatant political provocation” that had “crossed the red line.”

“In the face of Tarriela’s malicious provocations, we must ask: as a spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard, do his smears and slanders against China and Chinese leader represent the stance of the Philippine government?” the Chinese embassy said. 

“China expresses strong indignation and strongly deplores this, and has lodged solemn representations with the Malacañang Palace, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Philippine Coast Guard.”

The filing followed a 14 January Facebook post by Tarriela, presenting an AI-generated photo of Chinese President Xi Jinping during a forum at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, where he served as a keynote speaker, discussing the territorial dispute over the WPS, and Chinese aggression against Philippine troops. 

The embassy lamented that Tarriela “persistently hyped up maritime issues, confounded right and wrong, misrepresented facts, incited confrontation, misled public opinion,” which allegedly jeopardizes diplomatic efforts for stronger China-Philippines bilateral ties and to de-escalate tensions in the disputed South China Sea (SCS).

“China once again reiterates that China and the Philippines should choose peace over conflict, dialogue over confrontation, and cooperation over tension,” China concluded. 

Tarriela retorts

The PCG official, in response, asserted that China’s protests were a veiled effort to “deflect” the issue from their relentless “aggressive and illegal actions” in the WPS. 

Tarriela also retaliated with an accusation, arguing that China’s seeking intervention of the Philippine government over his “personal and professional” views in the WPS is nothing but interference in violation of Article 41(1) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. 

The provision explicitly stipulates that state parties to the treaty are bound not to interfere in the internal affairs of the host state. Both the Philippines and China are parties to the Vienna Convention. 

“This is not legitimate diplomacy; it is an effort to intimidate and suppress truthful reporting on matters of Philippine sovereignty,” Tarriela contended. 

Furthermore, he asserted that China’s accusations of “smears” or “slanders” are misplaced because the reported incidents in the WPS are factual—“backed by video evidence, photographs,” and satellite imagery from other countries.

“If the Chinese Embassy objects to images or expressions that highlight these violations—often through legitimate public discourse or even satire—it only underscores discomfort with the truth being exposed,” he stressed. 

“The Philippine government has no obligation to ‘discipline’ me for accurately reporting violations occurring in Philippine waters,” Tarriela pointed out. 

The Philippines and China have long been embroiled in a maritime dispute over the SCS, which overlaps with the WPS. 

China has persistently asserted jurisdiction over WPS, notwithstanding a 2016 arbitral ruling, which deemed Beijing’s expansive claims in the entire SCS as invalid and baseless. 

The landmark decision affirmed the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone in the WPS.

Despite a pact to de-escalate tensions in the region, China remains aggressive toward the Philippines through the use of water cannons, military-grade lasers, and by deploying missiles against Philippine troops and vessels.