Palace: Philippines won’t retaliate against China like ‘fighting kids’

The Philippines will not act like a child in retaliating against China, including by banning nickel ore exports to Beijing, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said Tuesday.

“Hindi po ganyan mag-isip ang ating Pangulo. Ang Pangulo, hindi po niya dinadaan sa parang magkaaway na mga bata. So, ang Pangulo po at ang administrasyon ay nakikipag-negotiate, nakikipag-usap sa liderato ng ibang bansa through a diplomatic manner,” Castro said when asked if the Philippines was considering a retaliatory ban on nickel ore exports from Surigao del Sur to China.

She said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would not consider a decision that could compromise the country’s economy, even as some Cabinet officials, including Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, as well as Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, offer their perspectives on the territorial dispute.

“So, iba po ang usapin ng ekonomiya at iba rin po ang usapin patungkol po sa pagprotekta sa ating teritoryo at sa interes natin sa West Philippine Sea,” she added.

“So, hindi po mag-iisip ang Pangulo ng ganiyang klaseng retaliation dahil alam po natin na ang bansang Tsina at ang Pilipinas ay nagkakatulungan patungkol at may kaugnayan po sa ekonomiya, trade and investment,” she stressed.

With China falling short of producing its own nickel ore, the Philippines has capitalized on the demand, exporting $994.11 million worth of nickel ores and concentrates to China in 2025, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade.

Nickel is an important component in the production of electronic products, including certain microchips.