18-4-2024 (MANILA) The Philippines’ decision to ramp up ties with Japan and the United States at a recent summit was a “sovereign choice” for the country, its foreign ministry declared on Thursday, responding to China’s opposition to the trilateral meeting.
During last week’s summit in Washington, US President Joe Biden hosted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, where the three leaders jointly expressed “serious concerns” over China’s actions in the South China Sea.
In a statement, the Philippine foreign ministry asserted that the trilateral grouping would promote peace and economic growth in the Indo-Pacific region and should not be considered a threat. Instead, it pointed to China’s “excessive maritime claims and aggressive behavior” as undermining the region’s peace and stability.
“The source of tension in our region is well-known to all. China should reflect upon its own actions in the South China Sea,” the ministry said, challenging Beijing’s stance on the matter.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, had previously voiced opposition to “forming exclusive circles in the region” and any “acts that stoke and drive up tensions.” Mao also accused the US of clinging to a “Cold War mentality” by threatening rivals through coalitions with regional allies.
In response, Manila dismissed such claims, stating, “Unwarranted references to the Cold War sensationalize the situation and misrepresent the peaceful purpose of the trilateral cooperation.”
Relations between the Philippines and China have soured over the past year due to maritime incidents in disputed atolls and shoals in the South China Sea, as well as heated exchanges between officials from both nations.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a strategic waterway that facilitates more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. However, its territorial claims overlap with waters claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has consistently rejected.
