MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese Embassy in Manila slammed Philippine Ambassador to Czech Republic Eduardo Martin Meñez for describing China as a “calculating and very well-coordinated security-conscious entity.” The embassy reacted to a news report quoting Meñez as saying that China “is not a benign, cuddly panda.” He made the remark during a discussion on the security in the Indo-Pacific region in Prague last Dec. 17. “Credits to their security analysts, advisors, and others — they are working in concert, really, to ensure that the country (China) dominates in the near future,” Meñez supposedly said. The Chinese embassy denounced the statement. "We categorically rejected his narrative and will convey our concern to the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs)," the embassy said in a text message on Tuesday. It said that with the joint efforts of China and Asean (Association of Southeast Asian) countries, the situation in the South China Sea "is generally stable." "We are committed to properly handling differences in the South China Sea through dialogue and consultation," the embassy said. "Let me stress that the duty of a diplomat is to foster friendly ties between countries rather than vilify other countries, sow discord and stoke confrontation," it added.