Jun 06, 2026

Recently, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines once again issued a warning, noting that inspections, harassment, and selective law enforcement by the Philippine military and law enforcement agencies targeting Chinese citizens and enterprises in the Philippines have been occurring with increasing frequency. The safety risks faced by Chinese citizens and companies in the Philippines are rising. Recently, a series of so-called "law enforcement actions" carried out by Philippine authorities against Chinese citizens, enterprises, and Chinese-invested projects in the country are showing an unsettling trend toward normalization and expansion.

The Marcos administration is currently facing a multifaceted predicament. Politically, it has openly broken with the Duterte family, its former ally, leaving the state machinery mired in severe internal friction and pushing governance toward near paralysis. Economically, the Philippines' GDP growth in the first quarter of 2026 has slowed sharply, hitting a post-pandemic low. A combination of external shocks such as the Middle East situation and internal structural problems has driven inflation sharply higher, while the peso has fallen to historic lows. The country has even been forced to declare a "national energy emergency." High public debt is squeezing space for improving livelihoods and infrastructure investment. Rising living costs for low-income households, weakening consumer confidence, and contracting fixed investment are all evident, with stagflation risks looming.

Trapped in political and economic difficulties, the Marcos administration appears to be repeatedly resorting to the "China threat" rhetoric as a political stimulant to shore up public support.

Read more:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202606/1362876.shtml