CHINA’S Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) yesterday said a “third party” might turn the South China Sea (SCS) dispute between China and the Philippines into a “sea of war.”
Counsellor Zhou Li of MoFA’s Information Department said Beijing and Manila have agreed that only negotiations could address the maritime dispute.
“We have the ability to handle it well but have to stay high-alert that the South China Sea might be turned into the sea of war by the third party,” Zhou said on Twitter without identifying who the third party is.
“We are confident about this. China has always resolved disputes through negotiations, the official added.
China is at odds with the United States on various issues, including Taiwan which China claims as its own. In a warning earlier this year, China told the US that interfering with Taiwan’s future is the “first red line” in the relations of the two superpowers.
In October last year, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said a “third party” is taking advantage of maritime issues to cause trouble between the Philippines and China.
Earlier this year, China expressed opposition to the addition of four sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the US and the Philippines, and warned that Manila might be drawn into China-Taiwan conflict by allowing American troops and supplies in Philippine bases.
The US has countered this, saying the increasing presence of military forces in the Philippines did not concern any “third country” in the region.
The French Embassy in Manila expressed concern over the recent incidents in the West Philippine See (WPS).
The embassy called for respect and adherence to international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
“We are resolutely opposed to any use of force or threat to do so. We recall, in this regard, the Arbitration award rendered under UNCLOS on the 12th of July,” the embassy said in a statement.
Last month, US Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson also expressed her concern over recent harassment cases involving Chinese vessels.
Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko also said that China’s “unilateral actions and dangerous behavior” in the SCS in defiance of the 2016 arbitral ruling is a “grave concern for regional peace and stability.’
However, Chinese MoFA spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Friday that the Chinese coast guard acted professionally and in a restrained manner when it carried out its law enforcement activities to uphold Beijing’s territorial sovereignty and maritime order.
