Philippines Tells China To ‘Get the F**k Out’ Of South China Sea

Teodoro Locsin with Mike Pompeo

The Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Teodoro Locsin has caused a diplomatic row by telling China to ‘Get the F**k Out’ Of South China Sea – the highly sensitive body of water off East Asia with parts claimed by multiple nations in the region including China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia.

Launching his somewhat tactless missive on the popular social media site, Twitter, Mr. Locsin who is already known for his ability to be overly direct was protesting the presence of hundreds of Chinese boats inside Manila’s 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) when he posted the “China, my friend, how politely can I put it? Let me see… O…GET THE F**K OUT,” although he did Tweet on his personal rather than official account.

“What are you doing to our friendship? You. Not us. We’re trying. You. You’re like an ugly oaf forcing your attentions on a handsome guy who wants to be a friend; not to father a Chinese province …” Mr. Locsin continued.

There has been no immediate response from the Chinese government, either publicly or announced through their mission in the Philippines.

The US, however, has already responded to questions on the Tweet with a State Department spokesperson quoting a previous comment by current Secretary of State Antony Blinken claiming that the US “stands with our ally, the Philippines, in the face of (China’s) maritime militia pressure in the South China Sea.”

“As we have stated before, an armed attack against the Philippine armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, will trigger our obligations under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” the spokesperson went on to say.

Amy Wu

Amy is a Taiwanese graduate student based in Phoenix, Arizona, currently home in Hsinchu to ride out the COVID-19 pandemic. She has a passion for Hakka culture, and the rights of minorities around the world. She will cover SE Asian news and topics.