China accuses the Philippines of ‘selective and discriminatory’ Chinese arrests

AdvertisementThe PhilippinesChinaDiplomacyChina accuses the Philippines of ‘selective and discriminatory’ Chinese arrests

Embassy urges the Philippines to protect ‘personal safety and legitimate rights’ of detainees after 24 Chinese nationals arrested on Monday

2-MIN READ2-MIN1 Listen

Cao Jiaxuanin BeijingPublished: 4:03pm, 28 May 2026Updated: 4:47pm, 28 May 2026

Beijing has accused Manila of “selective and discriminatory” law enforcement against Chinese nationals, and demanded on Wednesday that it brief Beijing on every case within four days, after Philippine authorities made a series of arrests and detentions involving Chinese citizens.

In a statement, China’s embassy in the Philippines said it had “immediately lodged solemn representations with Philippine authorities for each incident”, and demanded that Manila inform Chinese consular posts of developments within four days.

The statement urged Manila to handle the cases fairly under the law, ensure Chinese nationals’ safety and rights, and release them promptly if they had not violated Philippine law.

New collision of Chinese-Philippine ships in South China Sea

“It must be emphasised that while China respects the Philippines’ judicial sovereignty and law enforcement in accordance with the law, it firmly opposes selective and discriminatory enforcement targeting Chinese citizens,” the statement said.

Advertisement

The embassy urged Philippine authorities to handle the cases “properly and in accordance with the law” as soon as possible, warning against “abuse of power or political manipulation” and calling for the “personal safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals” to be protected.

The remarks came after 24 Chinese nationals were arrested on Monday in a joint operation led by immigration authorities and the Philippine Army.

Advertisement

Philippine officials said the raid in Panabo, a city in the province of Davao del Norte, was based on intelligence reports alleging that foreign nationals in the area were engaged in unauthorised work and using questionable immigration documents.

The incident is one of several involving Chinese nationals in the Philippines over the past two months.

AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x