1st LD-Writethru: China imposes sanctions on former Philippine senator Francis Tolentino: spokesperson

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China decided to impose sanctions on former Philippine senator Francis Tolentino for his egregious conduct on China-related issues and prohibit him from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

For quite some time, driven by selfish interests, a handful of anti-China politicians in the Philippines have made malicious remarks and moves on issues related to China that are detrimental to China's interests and China-Philippines relations, the spokesperson said.

The Chinese government is firmly resolved to defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests, the spokesperson noted. Enditem