China has lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the Philippines after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Manila could not "stay out" of a potential confrontation over Taiwan because of its geographic proximity and the large number of Filipino nationals on the island. Marcos made the remarks in an interview published this week during his visit to India. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson in Beijing on Friday denounced the comments as “wrong and provocative,” warning Manila to “stop playing with fire.” The ministry said the statements violate the one-China principle, undermine regional stability and damage bilateral relations. Beijing reiterated that the Taiwan issue is an internal Chinese matter that brooks no external interference.