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Beijing and Manila dispute arrests of Chinese workers after detentions
The Philippine defence department said Beijing did not address Teodoro’s concerns, and the detainees were released after the May arrests at Sanjia Steel.
Tensions between Beijing and Manila have shifted from South China Sea disputes to immigration after China’s embassy criticised Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr over his role in arrests of Chinese workers at a steel plant, according to SCMP Economy.
Manila dismissed the criticism, saying the embassy’s response did not address Teodoro’s concerns and calling it evasive, with the defence department characterising the reply as an implied admission of culpability.
SCMP Economy reported that in May Teodoro directed armed forces to detain 70 allegedly undocumented Chinese nationals at the Sanjia Steel Corporation plant in Misamis Oriental, prompting protests and consular visits from Beijing.
The outlet added that the embassy said all of the Chinese nationals have since been released, as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr meanwhile signalled he wanted to reset ties with China.