PH on China: Judge us by actions, not words - Institute for Maritime and Ocean Affairs

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines rebuked China on Friday, April 4, for its aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) as it dismissed that country’s barrage of statements against the Philippines on a historic case.

“Countries should be judged by their actions, not by their words,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a rare statement.

Through these words, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) broke its 5-day silence on the issue even as China continued to flood media with statements against the Philippines.

The Philippines’ statement on Friday carries more weight than others. The DFA, after all, usually criticizes China through its spokesman, not its top diplomat. China hits the Philippines, too, through its foreign ministry spokespersons, not usually its foreign minister, Wang Yi.