On Tuesday, China announced sanctions on former Philippine senator Francis Tolentino. The sanctions were imposed for "his egregious conduct on China-related issues" and prohibited him from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.
So, what did he do?
Tolentino pushed aggressive maritime bills that undermined China's sovereignty in the South China Sea and fueled the so-called "China threat" narrative in Philippine politics.
China's message is clear: If you provoke confrontation and harm China's interests — there will be consequences.