Chinese commentary calls PNoy 'ignorant, amateurish politician'

MANILA, Philippines - A commentary on a Chinese government-owned news agency vilified Pres. Benigno Aquino III for comparing China's territorial claims and that of Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler.

Xinhua writer Ming Jinwei, in his commentary, described Aquino's remarks as "inflammatory" and a "senseless attack" against China. He said the Filipino leader "has never been a great candidate for a wise statesman in the region."

"But his latest reported attack against China, in which he senselessly compared his northern neighbor to the Nazi Germany, exposed his true color as an amateurish politician who was ignorant both of history and reality," the commentary said.

The opinion article also said it is "very unfortunate" that Aquino "is still trying to create animosity with China" even after the Asian giant "has successfully reached critical common ground with regional countries" over the South China Sea issue in 2013.

It also said that Aquino's statements "may very much have squandered" the "improved" relations between China and the Philippines after the former extended help in the areas devastated by Super Typhoon "Yolanda."

The commentary further urged Aquino and political leaders to sound "rational and reasonable" when they address the issues of territorial disputes.

In an interview on The New York Times, Aquino drew an analogy between China's maritime claims and Nazi Germany's acquisition of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland.

Read: PNoy on China's territorial claims: World must say 'Enough is enough'

Aquino said like Czechoslovakia, the Philippines now needs more support from other nations to resist China's territorial demands.

"At what point do you say, 'Enough is enough'? Well, the world has to say it — remember that the Sudetenland was given in an attempt to appease Hitler to prevent World War II," Aquino was quoted as saying in the article.

But on Wednesday, Macalañang quickly defended the President, saying his recent remarks did not mean to offend China.

Communications Sec. Sonny Coloma said the President is only being attentive to details and that it is only common for him to give such information since he likes to read military history.

He said Aquino was merely citing the historical fact that foreign powers failed to give more support to Czechoslovakia before World War II.

"As a storyteller and as a conversationalist, the President often gives details of a particular situation so it could've happened that he was simply citing the fact that there was such incident," Coloma said.