马尼拉：菲律宾外交部于周一（10月19日）传唤了中国大使，就该特使被指传达使用武力威胁的言论表达“严重关切和强烈反对”。
MANILA: The Philippine foreign ministry on Monday (Oct 19) summoned China's ambassador to express its "serious concern and strong objection" about remarks by the envoy that it said conveyed a threat of the use of force.
菲律宾外交部在一份声明中表示，外交部次长玛丽亚·特蕾莎·拉扎罗传唤了大使景泉，并向他指出其上周对媒体发表的评论“具有挑衅性且不可接受”。
Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro summoned Ambassador Jing Quan and told him comments he made to media last week were "provocative and unacceptable", the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
两国军队和海岸警卫队在南中国海争议地区发生了一系列事件，此次争端便发生在此之后。北京声称对这条战略水道的大部分海域拥有主权，尽管一项国际裁决裁定其主张没有法律依据。
Jing had told reporters that China would " easily win" a conflict between the countries but Beijing would not use force because "we love peace". The row followed a series of incidents involving the militaries and coast guards of the two neighbours occurring in disputed areas of the South China Sea Beijing claims most of the strategic waterway despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
针对菲律宾国防部长吉尔伯托·特奥多罗将北京称为地区“麻烦制造者”的说法，景泉上周对记者表示，马尼拉应该“感到幸运”能有中国这样的邻居。
Reacting to Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro's labelling Beijing a regional "troublemaker", Jing told reporters last week that Manila should "feel fortunate" it had a neighbour like China.
他在马尼拉一所学校发表演讲后说：“如果我们想使用武力，我们很容易取胜。但不会的，我们不会选择武力，我们热爱和平。”
"If we want to use force, we may easily win. But no, we will not choose force, and we love peace," he said after giving a speech at a school in Manila.
这些言论引发了政客们的呼吁，其中包括至少两名现任参议员，要求马尼拉驱逐这位特使。
The comments sparked calls by politicians, including at least two sitting senators, for Manila to expel the envoy.
周一的声明称：“外交部保留在认为必要时采取进一步外交行动的权利。”
"The Department reserves the right to take further diplomatic action as it deems necessary," Monday's statement said.
近年来，中国与美国盟友菲律宾之间的外交口角日益频繁，通常围绕南中国海敌对船只之间的对峙和冲突。
Diplomatic squabbles between China and US ally the Philippines have become more frequent in recent years, typically over standoffs and altercations between rival vessels in the South China Sea.
马尼拉指责中国海岸警卫在其专属经济区采取挑衅行为，而北京则坚称其是在对侵入其领土的船只进行执法。
Manila has accused China's coast guard of aggressive conduct in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, while Beijing insists it is enforcing the law against vessels that are encroaching on its territory.
中国驻马尼拉大使馆未立即回应就大使被传唤一事置评的请求。该馆上周曾表示，景泉的言论遭到断章取义，其言论被过度解读。
China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ambassador being summoned. It last week said Jing had been selectively quoted and his remarks over-interpreted.
外交部表示，拉扎罗对景泉说，这些评论加剧了两国之间原本就敏感的氛围，并破坏了双方建立理解与合作的共同努力。
Lazaro told Jing the comments aggravated an already sensitive atmosphere between the two countries and undermined mutual efforts to build understanding and cooperation, the foreign ministry said.
她表示，敏感问题应通过既定的外交渠道和双边机制来解决，从而为对话和接触保留空间。
Sensitive issues should be addressed through established diplomatic channels and bilateral mechanisms that reserve space for dialogue and engagement, she said.