MANILA: China warned the Philippines on Monday to behave cautiously and seek dialogue, saying their relations were at a “crossroads” as new confrontations between their coastguards over maritime claims deepened tensions.
It was the second such warning by the Chinese foreign ministry in three months as the two countries openly sparred over territorial claims in the Spratly Islands, a mostly uninhabited archipelago in the South China Sea.
The message was delivered by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong during a phone call with Philippine counterpart Theresa Lazaro amid worsening friction over altercations at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. In the call, Lazaro relayed Manila’s “strongest protest against the aggressive actions” by the China Coast Guard and maritime militia against a Philippines’ resupply mission in the South China Sea, her ministry said in a statement.
Chen said in a statement: “China once again urges the Philippines to honour its commitments and consensus, stop its maritime abuses and provocations, stop any unilateral actions that may complicate the situation, and earnestly return to the right track of properly handling differences through dialogue and consultation with China.”
The Philippines accused China’s coastguard of using water cannon against a civilian boat supplying troops on Saturday at the Second Thomas Shoal, which it said had damaged the boat and injured some crew.
The Philippines foreign ministry summoned China’s charge d’affaires in Manila on Monday to protest at “aggressive actions” in the wake of the incident.
The boost for Harris came amid new turmoil for 78-year-old Trump, who cast into doubt whether he will debate the vice...
“It was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard. There was no glass, there was no shrapnel,”...
Starting this month, three autonomous on-demand delivery robots will begin their trial within the community
“They identify where our mobile groups are positioned, where the machine guns are that can destroy them," says...
Biden describes the pair as “two of the most notorious leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel”
Wang says Beijing is “ready to work with Russia to... firmly support each other, safeguard each other’s core...