China says Philippines has ‘provoked trouble’ in South China Sea with US backing

December 13, 2024 MeighTimbol News 0
REUTERS | Published December 13, 2024
BEIJING, Dec 13 (Reuters) – China accused the Philippines on Friday of having “provoked trouble” in the South China Sea with U.S. backing, a week after Beijing and Manila traded accusations over a new confrontation in the disputed waters.
“The Philippine side, with U.S. support and solicitation, has been stirring up trouble in many spots in the South China Sea,” Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China’s defence ministry, said on its official WeChat account.
“The Philippines is well aware that the scope of its territory is determined by a series of international treaties and has never included China’s” Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, he added.
Beijing and Manila have been involved this year in a series of confrontations at reefs and outcrops in the South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety.
The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim parts of the sea. They are concerned China’s expansive claim encroaches into their exclusive economic zones (EEZ), non-territorial waters that extend 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coasts of a nation’s land.
The Philippines’ National Maritime Council and its National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest remarks from Beijing.
The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Philippines officials said last week that Chinese coast guard vessels had fired water cannon and side-swiped a Manila fisheries bureau boat on the way to deliver supplies to Filipino fishermen around the Scarborough Shoal, a move that drew condemnation from the U.S.
China’s Coast Guard said that four Philippine ships had attempted to enter waters it described as its own around the Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing calls Huangyan Island.
China submitted nautical charts earlier this month to the United Nations that it said supported its claims to the waters, which a 2016 international tribunal found to be a long established fishing ground for fishermen of many nationalities.
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SOURCE: www.reuters.com

RELATED: Beijing Claims US-Backed Philippines ‘Provoking Trouble’ In Disputed Waters

China accused the Philippines on Friday of “provoking trouble” in the South China Sea with the support of the United States. This follows a week of escalating tensions and mutual

ARISE.TV | Published December 13, 2024

China accused the Philippines on Friday of “provoking trouble” in the South China Sea with the support of the United States. This follows a week of escalating tensions and mutual accusations between Beijing and Manila over confrontations in the disputed waters.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for China’s defence ministry, said on the ministry’s official WeChat account, “The Philippine side, with US support and solicitation, has been stirring up trouble in many spots in the South China Sea.” He added that the Philippines was aware its territorial boundaries, determined by international treaties, did not include the Spratly Islands or Scarborough Shoal, areas claimed by China.

“The Philippines is well aware that the scope of its territory is determined by a series of international treaties and has never included China’s” Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, he said.

The South China Sea, a resource-rich and strategically vital region, has long been a point of contention. China claims nearly the entire waterway, but its expansive claims are disputed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. These nations argue that China’s assertions encroach on their exclusive economic zones (EEZs), which extend 200 nautical miles from their coastlines and grant jurisdiction over marine resources.

Philippines officials said last week that Chinese coast guard vessels had fired water cannon and side-swiped a Manila fisheries bureau boat on the way to deliver supplies to Filipino fishermen around the Scarborough Shoal, a move that drew condemnation from the U.S.

China’s Coast Guard countered, claiming that four Philippine vessels had attempted to enter waters it considers part of its territory near the shoal, which Beijing calls Huangyan Island.

 

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SOURCE: www.arise.tv

 

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