China has warned the Philippines to stop what it says are provocations in the South China Sea as the United States reaffirmed its commitment to Manila despite rising tensions in the disputed waters.
The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command spokesperson, Senior Colonel Tian Junli, stated that the Chinese soldiers carried out reguair patrol routines and reminded Manalia not to provoke. “We strongly advise the Philippines to immediately cease provoking incidents and creating tensions in the South China Sea,” he added.
The PLA also pledged to keep protecting the sovereignty of China and dismissed foreign backing as futile, with Tian further stating, “To seek outside help is sure to be useless,” an obvious reference to American involvement.
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China claims virtually the whole of the South China Sea, a huge trade artery valued at over $3 trillion annually. The expansive claims encompass the territorial waters of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, creating historic clashes.
Scarborough Shoal, rich with fish and inside the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, has been a particularly thorny issue since China took it over in 2012.
The warning comes at a time when the US criticized Beijing’s plan to declare Scarborough Shoal a natural reserve. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that China has been using ‘coercive tactics to seek aggressive territorial and maritime claims’. He called the proposed declaration yet another coercive attempt against neighboring nations…
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He also urged China to respect the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that announced it had unjustly excluded Filipino fishermen from the area.
Filipino fishermen fear their livelihood will be further limited by a nature reserve designation. China still refuses to accept the 2016 decision, and the Philippines relies on its friendship with Washington. The US has consistently reaffirmed that its mutual defense pact with Manila protects against any attack on Philippine ships, keeping the issue one of the Asia-Pacific’s most treacherous hotspots.
