Secretary of Defense of the Philippines, Gilberto Teodoro Jr., speaks during the 37th International Military Law and Operations Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on August 3, 2026. Photo: VCG
China's Embassy in the Philippines on Saturday rejected Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.'s renewed allegations over 70 Chinese workers at a steel plant in Mindanao who were arrested and later released, citing a prosecutorial resolution ordering their release while questioning the military's involvement, the workers' harsh detention conditions and possible selective law enforcement. The statement came after Teodoro, who was sanctioned by China in June, accused the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday of continuing to evade what he called the "crucial issue": whether the Chinese nationals arrested in the Philippines were involved in illegal activities, and whether Chinese embassy officials have intervened in local law enforcement processes, according to Philstar. Ji Lingpeng, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, directly addressed both questions in Saturday's statement. Ji noted that a May 28 resolution by Philippine prosecution authorities had found insufficient evidence to support allegations against the workers and ordered all 70 Chinese nationals to be released. "Yet Teodoro continues to accuse them of engaging in illegal activities in the Philippines. Does he respect the rule of law and the decisions of the judiciary?" Ji asked. Ji also questioned whether violations of Philippine law should be determined by the defense secretary or the country's judicial authorities. "Secretary Teodoro's remarks are completely unfounded. They distort the facts and turn black into white," Ji said. The embassy raised multiple questions about the May operation, which Ji said Teodoro had instructed the Philippine armed forces to join. The spokesperson asked why unarmed workers rather than those responsible for managing the plant had been detained, why only Chinese workers were arrested while Filipino employees were released at the scene, and why the Chinese nationals were transported to Manila aboard a military aircraft. The embassy also said some workers had been instructed to put on personal protective equipment and pose for photographs during the raid, which were subsequently used in publicity surrounding the case. Responding to Teodoro's claim that the embassy had intervened in Philippine law enforcement, Ji said anyone with a basic understanding of diplomacy would know that protecting the safety and legitimate rights and interests of its nationals is a fundamental responsibility of an embassy. "Regardless of the reason a Chinese national is detained, the Chinese Embassy has the right and responsibility to conduct consular visits, provide consular protection, make communication with and demarches to relevant Philippine law-enforcement authorities to ensure humane, fair and just treatment of detained Chinese nationals," Ji said. "We fully respect the Philippines' judicial sovereignty and the lawful handling of cases by its relevant law-enforcement authorities," Ji said. "If solid evidence proves a foreign national is in violation of Philippine law, he or she shall be brought to justice in accordance with the law. The same is true in China. However, we firmly oppose any discriminatory or selective law enforcement campaigns targeting Chinese nationals by the Philippine side out of political considerations." The Philippine Department of National Defense responded in a separate statement on Sunday, claiming that "The Chinese Embassy's response does not contain any answers," adding that "this is, in legal practice, an implied admission of culpability," according to Inquirer.net. All 70 Chinese nationals associated with the steel plant in Mindanao have been released, Xinhua News Agency reported in June. The Manila Times reported that they were released after authorities cited insufficient evidence of specific immigration and labor violations. Renewing allegations against the Chinese workers after their release for insufficient evidence lacks justification, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday. Having a defense secretary personally direct the armed forces to participate in an operation targeting civilian workers departs from normal law enforcement procedures, Chen said. Teodoro's continued politicization of the case after the workers' release reflects an intensification of anti-China agitation by certain forces in the Philippines, he noted. Selective investigations and enforcement targeting Chinese nationals are driven not by law but by political manipulation designed to cater to domestic anti-China sentiment, Chen said. The trend shows that anti-China forces represented by Teodoro intend to continue fomenting hostility toward China, shaping negative public perceptions and provoking antagonism between the peoples of the two countries, with serious consequences for bilateral relations, he added. The resulting hostile environment could also have severe negative consequences for Chinese investment in the Philippines and normal people-to-people exchanges, he said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that "it's learned that it was exactly this defense secretary who personally led the armed forces to seize and detain Chinese nationals lawfully working in the Philippines. This person's consistent attacks and smears against China harm not only the bilateral relations. It is the interests of the Philippines and all its people that will bear the brunt." 。邮政免胶带封装箱(央广网记者 王晶 摄)今年年底投放可循环快递箱(盒)达1000万个过度包装或电商商品的二次包装,让快递变得越来越“胖”。例如,一个普通的家居用品里里外外包了三层塑料袋,小小的几支笔被放在了多个包装盒内……网购已成为我们生活中必不可少的环节,但同时也产生了很多类似塑料包装袋、纸箱等生活垃圾。如今,在绿色发展理念的背景下,对于快递包装的治理呼声越来越高。2022年,国家邮政局党组研究提出实施绿色发展“9917”工程,并列为邮政快递业更贴近民生七件实事之一。国家邮政局市场监管司副司长管爱光解释称,“9917”工程明确到今年年底,实现采购使用符合标准的包装材料比例达到90%,规范包装操作比例达到90%,投放可循环快递箱(盒)达到1000万个,回收复用瓦楞纸箱7亿个。“根据现在的要求,在三年内完成快递物流所有包装的可循环化,包括电商平台的包装,以及相关技术的研发,绿色化包装应用等,也会大规模推行。