Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime Flor Cruz was summoned by Beijing’s Foreign Ministry over a Philippine Coast Guard spokesman’s social media post.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila said Beijing lodge serious protest over PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela’s Facebook post that included a photo of him giving a speech, with a background featuring a compilation of comical images of Xi under the banner “Why China remains to be bully?”

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Philippines has “turned a blind eye” on Tarriela’s “inflammatory, confrontational, misleading and baseless remarks against China.”

“China does not accept that. Time for the Philippine side to undo the negative impact as soon as possible and stop tolerating the smear campaign and provocations, lest they disrupt normal diplomatic communication or further harm bilateral relations,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. 

Meanwhile, Tarriela said “threatening a public servant for telling the truth will not intimidate us.”

“It only proves that transparency is working—and that China fears an informed world more than it fears international law,” Tarriela said in a statement.

“Transparency in the West Philippine Sea is not provocation. It is merely exposing the bully aggressor and the real victim,” he said.

He added that if China truly wanted to reverse any “negative impact,” it should “start by respecting the 2016 Arbitral Award, withdrawing from its illegally occupied reclaimed islands and ending the harassment of Filipino fishermen.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier reaffirmed its support for government officials and institutions carrying out their lawful duties in defense of Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, while also reiterating that differences between states are best addressed through established diplomatic channels rather than public exchanges.

Tarriela and a Chinese embassy official had been trading barbs over issues concerning the disputed South China Sea.

The crucial waterway, which Beijing claims historic rights to despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis, has been the site of repeated clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels.

The Chinese Embassy said Friday it has filed a diplomatic protest against the spokesman over a social media post that included cartoonish images of President Xi Jinping.

The embassy slammed the post for “attacking and smearing Chinese leaders” in a statement it released.

The move “constitutes a serious violation of China’s political dignity”, the embassy said adding that it is a “blatant political provocation, which has crossed the red line”.

The embassy expressed “strong indignation” to the presidential palace, foreign affairs department and coast guard demanding an explanation for Tarriela’s “malicious provocations”.

In response, Tarriela Friday branded the protest “an attempt to deflect from the core issue: China’s repeated aggressive and illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea,” using the Filipino term for the waters immediately west of the country.