China calls for ‘basic etiquette’ after Philippine ‘get the f*** out’ remark

China has urged the Philippines to mind "basic etiquette" after its foreign minister told the Southeast Asian nation to “get the f*** out” of Manila’s waters in the South China Sea.

Teodoro L Locsin Jr’s comments came after Manila highlighted what it called the "illegal" presence of Chinese boats inside the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

China’s foreign ministry said in a statement: “China urges the Philippine side to earnestly respect China's sovereignty and jurisdiction, and stop taking actions that may complicate the situation.”

“It has been proven that microphone diplomacy cannot change facts, but can only undermine mutual trust. It is hoped that the relevant people in the Philippines will comply with basic etiquette and their identities when making remarks,” the state-run Global Times quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin as saying.

In a series of tweets on Monday, Mr Locsin had demanded that China’s vessels leave the disputed waters.

He tweeted: “China, my friend, how politely can I put it? Let me see … GET THE F*** OUT. What are you doing to our friendship? You. Not us. We’re trying. You. You’re like an ugly oaf forcing your attentions on a handsome guy who wants to be a friend; not to father a Chinese province.”

“What is it so hard to understand about (Philippines president Rodrigo) Duterte’s UN declaration that the Arbitral Award made all maritime features Philippines; no one else’s?” he questioned.

After his comments were widely reported, Mr Locsin apologised to his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.. He tweeted: “I won't plead the last provocation as an excuse for losing it; but if Wang Yi is following Twitter then I'm sorry for hurting his feelings but his alone.”

Mr Duterte in a televised address on Monday said that just because the country has a conflict with China does not mean “we have to be rude and disrespectful.”

Citing Mr Duterte’s remarks, China said that the differences and disputes between the two countries on some issues should not affect the overall friendship and cooperation.

The foreign ministry said that China has “always been and will remain committed to properly handling differences and advancing cooperation with the Philippines through friendly consultation, and will continue to provide assistance within its capacity to the Philippines in its efforts to fight the epidemic and resume economic development.”

The Philippines has issued several diplomatic protests to China over their territorial dispute. So far, Manila has filed over 75 diplomatic protests to China since 2016.

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