The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines on Thursday protested at an anti-Chinese statement by a Filipino senator.

Political counselor of the Chinese Embassy Deng Xijun made the case with the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, expressing his concern over the anti-Chinese statement made by the chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Philippine Senate, Mariam Santiago, who said "China invented civilization of the east, but as well it invented corruption for all of human civilization."

The embassy also issued a statement protesting the statement by Santiago.

"Such kind of comments is neither fair nor correct. We believe that the Philippine government and the People of the Philippines will not agree to that," said the statement.

"It is known to all that anti-corruption is a common task faced by all the countries of the world. Corruption exists not only in China, nor was it created by China. The Chinese government has all along devoted itself to the building of an honest and clean government and combat against all forms of corruption," said the statement.

The statement also said the Chinese government has adopted even tougher measures in combat against corruption and achieved prominent results.

Santiago made the statement at a hearing of the Philippine Senate on alleged corruption in a project of the Chinese company Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corp. of China signed with the Philippine government.

(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2007)