SOMETHING must be wrong in the appointment of executives for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

If not, then why does it have a spokeswoman with a bad mouth? Why is the ministry, tasked to uphold the highest form of diplomacy, represented by an official without tact?

Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stirred a diplomatic controversy after showing lack of skill and grace in responding to the congratulatory message of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Taiwan.

In his message to Taiwan’s new leader President Lai Ching-te, Marcos said, “On behalf of the Filipino people, I congratulate President-elect Lai Ching-te on his election as Taiwan’s next president. We look forward to close collaboration, strengthening mutual interests, fostering peace and ensuring prosperity for our peoples in the years ahead.”

Irked because of the existence of a ‘One China Policy’, the Chinese official was quick to reply with a blunt insult to Marcos. “We suggest that President Marcos read more books to properly understand the ins and outs of the Taiwan issue, so as to draw the right conclusions.”

While Marcos’ statements were bereft of any reference to the One China Policy, our President surely did not deserve the ‘gutter talk’ from her.

Since when did lower government officials — even those in foreign affairs — were allowed to address and, worse, disrespect a leader from another country? She should have known better that there are very strict protocols on such matters.

Obviously, the Chinese official was quick to go ballistics against Marcos and claimed his messages for Taiwan were an affront to her country’s sovereignty.

Look who’s talking! Isn’t the equally ill-mannered Chinese Coast Guard doing far worse in the South China Sea?

Why the animosity? Is it because the Philippines plays the role of David against Goliath in the West Philppine Sea?

And is it because Marcos’ ‘paradigm shift’ in dealing with China over the disputed seas is effectively working as proven by the growing support we’re getting from other nations?

If not, then the Chinese Foreign Ministry had no reason to be harsh towards the Philippine leader.

A formal and decent request from the proper channel –the Department of Foreign Affairs — in the Philippines could have informed the Chinese Foreign Ministry that the Philippines still recognizes the One China policy.

Had they dug deeper into Marcos’ messages for Taiwan, they could have learned our President was primarily after the welfare of more than 200,000 Filpinos working there.

Diplomacy should have been paramount in the minds of Ning and the Chinese Foreign Ministry. But they could be forgetting the meaning of the word with China pursuing its aggressive expansion thrust in the South China Sea.

I remember an old TV advertisement promoting a mouthwash. The clip showed pretty women avoiding guys with bad breath.

For many reasons found in the contested waters, China is turning off a lot of nations around the globe.

And the bad mouth is not helping her.

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