Marcos: China sanctions on defense chief 'very unhelpful'

Marcos acknowledged China's right to impose the measures but argued the practical effect works against both sides' stated goal of managing disputes in the South China Sea, which the Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea.

"Cutting off another line of communication, which is through our defense ministries, I do not see how it will help that process that we're trying to achieve to manage the tensions," Marcos said.

The administration continues to pursue multiple channels with Beijing, he said. "We continue to have open lines of communications with Beijing. And we continue to look for as many lines of communications that we can have, both in foreign government to government, on the commercial level, on the purely personal level."

The sanctions mark an escalation in the diplomatic friction between the two countries over competing claims in the South China Sea, where Chinese vessels have repeatedly confronted Philippine supply ships at the Second Thomas Shoal.