TWO Chinese diplomats in the Philippines were shot dead yesterday by a fellow Chinese national.

The victims and the attacker were attending a birthday lunch in a private room at the Lighthouse restaurant when the shooting occurred, sparking panic among other customers.

It was not immediately clear what prompted the Chinese national to kill deputy consul-general Sun Shan and finance officer Hui Li of the Chinese Consulate in central Cebu City.

Consul-General Song Ronghua was wounded in the attack and was in stable condition at a Cebu hospital.

A Chinese couple, including the person suspected of firing the gun, was taken into custody by police.

The woman in police custody worked at the consulate and claimed diplomatic immunity, declining to immediately provide any statement to police.

Reports differed on whether the man or the woman was the suspected shooter.