25-12-2023 (BEIJING) The Chinese state media, on Monday (Dec 25), accused the Philippines of repeatedly encroaching upon China’s territory in the South China Sea, disseminating false information, and colluding with external forces to create disturbances. China’s Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, published a commentary condemning the “extremely dangerous” actions of the Philippines, which have severely impacted regional peace and stability.
The Philippines’ foreign ministry and the national task force responsible for the South China Sea did not provide an immediate response to the report’s inquiries on Christmas Day.
Tensions between Beijing and Manila have escalated in recent months, with both sides exchanging allegations regarding multiple incidents in the South China Sea. These include claims that China deliberately rammed a vessel carrying the Philippine armed forces chief of staff earlier this month.
China asserts its ownership over most of the South China Sea, although the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Indonesia also lay claim to parts of the disputed region. In 2016, an international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines, invalidating China’s claim. However, Beijing refuses to accept the ruling.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued a direct warning last week, stating that any miscalculations in the dispute with the Philippines would trigger a resolute response from China. He emphasized the need for dialogue to address the “serious difficulties” at hand.
The deterioration of bilateral relations coincides with Manila’s efforts to strengthen military ties with Japan and the United States, its former colonial power and defense ally for over seven decades.
China expressed its anger towards the United States this month for sending a navy ship into waters near the disputed area, where China and the Philippines have had several maritime confrontations. The People’s Daily rebuked Washington for frequently leveraging its defense treaty with Manila to “threaten” China, openly supporting the Philippines’ violations of Chinese sovereignty and fueling security concerns.
The commentary, written under the pseudonym “Zhong Sheng” (meaning “Voice of China”), a commonly used pen name for expressing the newspaper’s foreign policy perspectives, described such actions as “extremely irresponsible and dangerous.”
