It’s very dangerous now for Chinese nationals visiting the Philippines—supposedly. In warning compatriots to be careful, the Chinese Embassy in Manila “cited alleged instances of Chinese citizens and businesses in the Philippines facing frequent inspections and harassment from local law enforcement” (BusinessWorld, September 1, 2025).
It urged them to remain vigilant, avoid high-risk areas and carefully assess safety risks before traveling to or staying in the Philippines. The advisory also reiterated its warning to Chinese students considering pursuing their studies in the country.
This is the second such advisory issued by Chinese authorities this year. The first was released on July 18, citing similar concerns over safety and treatment of Chinese nationals.
The Philippine government denies that there has been any special problem for Chinese visitors. Its Department of Foreign Affairs says that the travel advisories “issued by China mischaracterize the situation in the Philippines.” Also, though, that “The Philippines remains committed to constructively addressing matters of mutual concern with China.”
Is fake concern a proper object of mutual concern?
Room for doubt
We can’t know for sure whether Philippine officials in fact pay any marginally greater attention to peaceful, nonspying Chinese nationals than to anybody else or whether Chinese nationals are more likely to be mugged by muggers or harassed by constables than anybody else in the Philippines. A few general facts invite skepticism. The fact that China Coast Guard vessels and other PRC vessels are constantly harassing Philippine vessels in Philippine waters. The fact that foreign businessmen working in Red China face special risks of being harassed or detained by the government. The facts that the CCP propaganda machine is always going full tilt and that the Chinese Communist Party likes to project its own wrongdoing onto others.
Francis M. Esteban, of the International Studies Department at Far Eastern University, says that issuing such warnings “has always been the tactic of China in trying to undermine the Philippines’ legitimacy as a world player, which is of course connected to our territorial dispute with them.”
Some in the Philippine government still think that it has a “ ‘provisional understanding’ with China on resupply missions to a grounded warship at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea,” an understanding to allow the Philippines to resupply its men on the warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, without being harassed by Chinese ships. The BusinessWorld story says that the National Maritime Council of the Philippines regards this understanding as remaining in effect “despite heightened Chinese activity in the area.”
Hammered out by meaningless negotiations last year, the terms of this alleged understanding were violated by China even in the process of its being announced, and then by China’s conduct in the South China Sea right after it was announced. The National Maritime Council seems to be basing its assessment of the status quo on wishful thinking rather than on facts.
A Council spokesman says that the two countries are “still in talks” about the resupply agreement but that details of the talks cannot be divulged. That’s okay. We can guess the details.
Also see:
StoptheCCP.org: “Japan to the Rescue in the South China Sea?”
“Oddly enough, everyone in territorial disputes with China is negotiating, but no one is getting anywhere.”
StoptheCCP.org: “The Spratly Agenda”
