China warns Philippines against provocations in South China Sea
3 Min Read
China warns the Philippines to stop provocations in the South China Sea after joint US-Philippines-Japan maritime drills escalate regional tensions.
-
A Chinese navy ship floats near during a Philippine military multi-service joint exercise on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, off Loaita island, locally called Kota island, at the disputed South China Sea, Philippines (AP)
The Chinese military has warned the Philippines against provocations following routine patrols it conducted in the South China Sea on Sunday.
A Chinese military spokesperson said the Philippines must "immediately stop provoking incidents and escalating tensions" in the South China Sea. "We sternly warn the Philippine side to immediately stop provoking incidents and escalating tensions in the South China Sea, as well as bringing in external forces for backing such efforts that are destined to be futile," the spokesperson stated.
"Any attempt to stir up trouble or disrupt the situation will not succeed," he emphasized.
The Philippine maritime council and armed forces did not immediately respond to Reuters' questions outside of office hours, and the Philippine embassy in Beijing also did not immediately provide a comment.
According to a statement from the US Indo-Pacific Command, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States held joint maritime exercises within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone from Thursday through Saturday, with the stated goals of enhancing regional cooperation and advocating for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
"The US, along with our allies and partners, upholds the right to freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect to the maritime rights under international law," it said.
On Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States stands with the Philippines and rejected what he characterized as China's "destabilizing plans" for a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.
Repeated provocations
On September 12, the Chinese army condemned the passage of a US and a British warship through the Taiwan Strait and announced that it had ordered its naval and air forces to track and warn the vessels.
In a statement, the Eastern Theater Command accused the US destroyer USS Higgins and the British frigate HMS Richmond of provocative behavior that heightened tensions, asserting that the actions of the United States and Britain were irresponsible signals that threatened the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait region.
On September 6, China strongly criticized Canada and Australia following the transit of naval vessels from both nations through the Taiwan Strait, accusing them of escalating regional tensions and deliberately causing trouble.
According to Senior Colonel Shi Yi, the spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command, the Canadian frigate Quebec and the Australian destroyer Brisbane transited the sensitive waterway on September 6.
