MANILA – The Chinese embassy in Manila has urged the United States to refrain from causing disturbances in the South China Sea (SCS).
As tensions continue to rise in the disputed waters, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reaffirmed America’s steadfast defense commitment to the Philippines in separate meetings with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Tuesday.
China criticized Blinken’s statement as a “thinly veiled threat” to invoke Mutual Defense Treaty obligations to Manila in the event of an armed attack against Filipinos in the SCS.
“It is exactly the US and not anyone else that’s threatening peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the Chinese Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.
“By going out of their way and far to the doorsteps of China to bluff and stir up situation, the US warships and military aircraft are demonstrating the true hegemon,” it added.
The Chinese statement emphasized that military cooperation between the US and the Philippines should not undermine China’s sovereignty or maritime rights and interests in the region.
Blinken remarked that the US and the Philippines share concerns regarding China’s provocative actions, which contravene international law and threaten the rights of the Philippines, thus posing a threat to peace, security, and freedom of navigation in the SCS.
China also asserted that the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty is a relic of the Cold War era.
“The US is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to interfere in the maritime issues between China and the Philippines,” it said.
Furthermore, China added that Blinken’s accusations regarding China’s aggressive actions in the SCS were baseless.
“Freedom of navigation in the South China Sea has never been an issue. Under its pretext of safeguarding freedom of navigation, the US is actually seeking freedom of rampage of its warships in the region,” it said.
