Philippine Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro yesterday rebuked China for accusing his country of provoking tension and stirring trouble in the South China Sea, saying that only Beijing believed what it was saying.
“Truth and in fact, no country in the world, none, supports unequivocally their claim to the whole of South China Sea,” Teodoro said as both nations have exchanged accusations over recent collisions in the waterway.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
Photo: Reuters
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis, a ruling that Beijing rejects.
More than a week ago, Manila and Beijing traded accusations over a collision of their vessels in the South China Sea, with the latter saying the incidents were “entirely caused” by the Philippines.
On Saturday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said that a “paradigm shift” was needed in how his country deals with the South China Sea issue because diplomatic efforts with China were headed “in a poor direction.”
China “will keep the door of dialogue and contact open,” a spokesperson for its embassy in Manila said in a statement later yesterday.
Tensions between the Philippines and China have grown under Marcos, who has complained about China’s “aggressive” behavior, while he sought closer ties with the US.
Marcos has said the Philippines would continue to talk to its partners in the Indo-Pacific region and come up with a joint position on their responsibilities in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines refers to the part of South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea.
“China has always advocated and remains committed to properly managing maritime differences through dialogue and consultation,” the embassy’s spokesperson said.
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