China's Embassy in the Philippines on Saturday rejected Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.'s renewed allegations over 70 Chinese workers at a steel plant in Mindanao who were arrested and later released, citing a prosecutorial resolution ordering their release while questioning the military's involvement, the workers' harsh detention conditions and possible selective law enforcement.

The statement came after Teodoro, who was sanctioned by China in June, accused the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday of continuing to evade what he called the "crucial issue": whether the Chinese nationals arrested in the Philippines were involved in illegal activities, and whether Chinese embassy officials have intervened in local law enforcement processes, according to Philstar.

Ji Lingpeng, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, directly addressed both questions in Saturday's statement.

Ji noted that a May 28 resolution by Philippine prosecution authorities had found insufficient evidence to support allegations against the workers and ordered all 70 Chinese nationals to be released.

"Yet Teodoro continues to accuse them of engaging in illegal activities in the Philippines. Does he respect the rule of law and the decisions of the judiciary?" Ji asked.

Ji also questioned whether violations of Philippine law should be determined by the defense secretary or the country's judicial authorities.

"Secretary Teodoro's remarks are completely unfounded. They distort the facts and turn black into white," Ji said.

The embassy raised multiple questions about the May operation, which Ji said Teodoro had instructed the Philippine armed forces to join. The spokesperson asked why unarmed workers rather than those responsible for managing the plant had been detained, why only Chinese workers were arrested while Filipino employees were released at the scene, and why the Chinese nationals were transported to Manila aboard a military aircraft.

The embassy also said some workers had been instructed to put on personal protective equipment and pose for photographs during the raid, which were subsequently used in publicity surrounding the case.

Responding to Teodoro's claim that the embassy had intervened in Philippine law enforcement, Ji said anyone with a basic understanding of diplomacy would know that protecting the safety and legitimate rights and interests of its nationals is a fundamental responsibility of an embassy.

"Regardless of the reason a Chinese national is detained, the Chinese Embassy has the right and responsibility to conduct consular visits, provide consular protection, make communication with and demarches to relevant Philippine law-enforcement authorities to ensure humane, fair and just treatment of detained Chinese nationals," Ji said.

"We fully respect the Philippines' judicial sovereignty and the lawful handling of cases by its relevant law-enforcement authorities," Ji said. "If solid evidence proves a foreign national is in violation of Philippine law, he or she shall be brought to justice in accordance with the law. The same is true in China. However, we firmly oppose any discriminatory or selective law enforcement campaigns targeting Chinese nationals by the Philippine side out of political considerations."

The Philippine Department of National Defense responded in a separate statement on Sunday, claiming that "The Chinese Embassy's response does not contain any answers," adding that "this is, in legal practice, an implied admission of culpability," according to Inquirer.net.

All 70 Chinese nationals associated with the steel plant in Mindanao have been released, Xinhua News Agency reported in June. The Manila Times reported that they were released after authorities cited insufficient evidence of specific immigration and labor violations.

Renewing allegations against the Chinese workers after their release for insufficient evidence lacks justification, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Having a defense secretary personally direct the armed forces to participate in an operation targeting civilian workers departs from normal law enforcement procedures, Chen said. Teodoro's continued politicization of the case after the workers' release reflects an intensification of anti-China agitation by certain forces in the Philippines, he noted.

Selective investigations and enforcement targeting Chinese nationals are driven not by law but by political manipulation designed to cater to domestic anti-China sentiment, Chen said.

The trend shows that anti-China forces represented by Teodoro intend to continue fomenting hostility toward China, shaping negative public perceptions and provoking antagonism between the peoples of the two countries, with serious consequences for bilateral relations, he added.

The resulting hostile environment could also have severe negative consequences for Chinese investment in the Philippines and normal people-to-people exchanges, he said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that "it's learned that it was exactly this defense secretary who personally led the armed forces to seize and detain Chinese nationals lawfully working in the Philippines. This person's consistent attacks and smears against China harm not only the bilateral relations. It is the interests of the Philippines and all its people that will bear the brunt."