China: We have no interest in interfering with Philippine elections (2025)

The national flags of the Philippines and China are seen together near the Tiananmen Gate as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visits, in Beijing on January 3, 2023. China has no interest in interfering with the Philippine elections, contrary to claims by National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday night. — File photo by Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — China has brushed off reports that it is interfering with the Philippines’ midterm elections.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun, in a regular press briefing on Thursday evening, was asked to comment on the Philippine government’s pronouncement that it has observed indicators proving that China is, in fact, interfering with the upcoming May 2025 elections.

“China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs. We have no interest in interfering in Philippine elections,” Guo simply said.

READ: Tolentino bares evidence China paying troll farm to discredit PH gov’t

On Thursday, National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya dropped a bombshell at the Senate’s special panel on maritime and admiralty zones’ hearing, saying that China is dipping its toes in the Philippines’ midterm polls.

“There are indications that information operations are being conducted or that Chinese state-sponsored [groups] in the Philippines are actually interfering in the forthcoming elections,” Malaya said during the hearing.

Sen. Francis Tolentino, who was presiding over the hearing as panel head chair, asked if China has ongoing operations to support candidates that they want to win and control candidates whom they do not prefer.

Still, Malaya answered in the affirmative.

“So ang ibig sabihin nito may mga ongoing operations ang China para suportahan yung mga kandidatong gusto nilang manalo? Yun ang diretsong tanong ko. At kontrahin naman yung mga kandidatong ayaw nilang manalo?” Tolentino asked.

(So does this mean that China has ongoing operations to support the candidates they want to win? That’s my direct question. And to oppose the candidates they don’t want to win?)

“Yes, there are indications of that,” Malaya answered.

“Itong mga ganitong pangyayari hindi ito naiintindihan kaagad ng sambayanan dahil ito’y nakahalo na sa social media hindi mo na alam kung alin dito yung totoo,” Tolentino added.

(These kinds of events are not immediately understood by the people because they are so mixed up on social media that you don’t know which one is true.)

“That’s correct,” Malaya responded.

But apart from this, the hearing held Thursday likewise bared the Chinese embassy in Manila’s alleged troll farm seeking to discredit the Philippine government and anti-China Filipino personalities.

It was Tolentino who exposed this alleged scheme, saying that China is paying “keyboard warriors” under a contract with a private company called Infinitus Marketing Solutions Inc.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to address the matter.