Philippine diplomat says sorry for Twitter rant against China, is told ‘only Duterte can use curse words’

The Philippines’ top diplomat has apologised for a foul-mouthed rant on Twitter in which he told China where to go – after being informed that only the president can use curse words.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr issued a public apology on Tuesday to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi for a tweet in which he called China an “ugly oaf” and demanded it “get the f***” out of Philippine waters. The tweet, sent out on Monday, was a reference to the presence of Chinese coastguard ships near to Scarborough Shoal in an area of the South China Sea claimed by both nations.

Soon after Locsin’s decidedly undiplomatic language, President Rodrigo Duterte said on nationwide television that “China remains our benefactor and … just because we have a conflict with China does not mean to say that we have to be rude and disrespectful. As a matter of fact, we have many things to thank China for – both its help in the past and its aid today.”