The Philippines on Wednesday pushed back against threatening Chinese rhetoric over local officials’ actions asserting the country’s rights and sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Tensions between the countries over the vital waterway sharpened this week as Beijing warned against what it described as “smears” by Philippine officials. This prompted pushback from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), lawmakers, political groups led by the Liberal Party, and renewed assertions of Manila’s commitment to defending its maritime rights under international law.

Manubay, K., Cruz, M., Espiritu, R., & Lopez, V. (2026, January 22). PH pushes back on China rhetoric, threats over WPS. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.