CHINA yesterday asked the Philippines to “stop peddling the so-called Chinese spy” story, referring to a Chinese arrested last week with two Filipinos on suspicion of spying.
Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said China asks its nationals overseas to always abide by local laws and regulations.
“We hope the Philippines will stick to the fact, stop shadow-chasing, stop peddling the so-called `Chinese spy,’ and earnestly protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals in the Philippines,” Mao said in a press briefing in Beijing.
Transcripts of the briefing were provided by the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
The embassy reiterated Mao’s remarks and said the “message is clear.”
“We hope the Philippines will stick to the fact, stop shadow-chasing, stop peddling the so-called “Chinese spy,” the embassy added.
On Wednesday, the Bureau of Immigration said the alleged Chinese spy Yuanqing Deng who was arrested by authorities last week in Makati City is married to a Filipina and has been moving in and out of the country since 2015.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago and military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the group led by the alleged Chinese spy had conducted unauthorized intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities on military camps, including sites designated under Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
EDCA sites are located inside Philippine military installations. In these sites, the US military is allowed to establish facilities for prepositioning of assets for territorial defense and disaster response operations, among others.
