Chinese coast guard vessels fire water cannons at a Philippine supply vessel Unaizah on May 4 en route to a supply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024. China said the United States should refrain from “cause trouble”. or take a stand on the South China Sea issue after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a security deal with Manila extended to attacks on the Philippine coast guard.
Adrian Portugal | Reuters
The Philippines’ national security adviser on Friday called for the expulsion of Chinese diplomats over an alleged leaked phone conversation with a Philippine admiral in a major escalation of the bitter South China Sea dispute.
China’s embassy in Manila had orchestrated “repeated acts of engaging and spreading disinformation, disinformation and misinformation” aimed at sowing dissension, division and discord, Eduardo Ano said in a statement.
Those actions “should not be allowed to go unsanctioned without serious penalties,” he said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian called the comments provocative and said Chinese diplomats in the Philippines should be allowed to do their jobs.
“China formally requests the Philippine side to effectively ensure the normal performance of duties by Chinese diplomatic personnel, stop violations and provocations and refrain from denying facts,” Lin told a regular press briefing in Beijing. .
The office of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and the foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The two countries have been engaged in a series of heated confrontations over the past year over disputed areas of the South China Sea as the Philippines, bolstered by support from the United States and other allies, has stepped up activities in waters claimed by China’s vast coastline. guard.
Asked to comment on the latest controversy, a US State Department spokesman said: “We are aware of the media reports and are deferring to the Philippine Department of State.”
China has accused the Philippines of encroachment and treachery, while Manila has rebuked Beijing for what it says is a policy of aggression and dangerous maneuvers inside its exclusive economic zone.
The expulsion of diplomats could intensify a dispute that has so far seen heated exchanges, diplomatic protests and the inoculation and spraying of Philippine ships with water on two disputed shoals, the nearest of which is more than 850 kilometers (530 miles) from mainland China .
Ano was referring to a news report this week about the alleged leak of a call between a Chinese diplomat and a Philippine admiral discussing a dispute over the South China Sea, which carried a transcript showing the admiral agreeing to concessions with China.
According to the transcript published by the Manila Times, the admiral agreed to China’s proposal for a “new model” where the Philippines would use fewer vessels on resupply trips to marines stationed on a grounded warship at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. and they would alert Beijing. about shipments in advance.
Reuters did not hear the reported phone conversation and could not verify the content of the published transcript. The report said the conversation took place in January and the transcript was provided by a “senior Chinese official,” whom it did not name.
‘IMPORTANT BUSINESSES’
Ano said he supported the defense secretary’s call to the foreign ministry to take appropriate action against the embassy officials, who he alleged had recorded an alleged telephone conversation in violation of Philippine laws, including the anti-wiretapping act, as well as serious violations of diplomatic protocols.
“These individuals in the Chinese embassy … and those responsible for these malign influence and interference operations must be removed from the country immediately,” he said.
On Wednesday, Chinese spokesman Lin said the embassy in Manila released details of “relevant communications” between the two countries to manage the situation at Second Thomas Shoal.
Lin, in comments released by the embassy, did not specify what details or announcements were made public or when, but said “the facts are clear and supported by solid evidence that cannot be denied.”
“The Philippines has persisted in denying these objective facts and seeks to mislead the international community,” Lin added.
China has long been upset by the Philippines’ maintenance of a small military presence in the disembarked warship Sierre Madre in the second Thomas Shoal, where it has been since 1999 to support its territorial claim.
Beijing has repeatedly said the Philippines agreed to tow that ship, which Manila denies.
Manila-based political analyst Julio Amador said expelling diplomats should be part of the Philippines’ diplomatic toolkit, and Chinese embassy officials have shown they do not value their working relationships with Philippine officials.
“Diplomacy is based on trust, yet China tries to make it appear that all meetings between its diplomats and representatives of the Philippine government are negotiations with binding results,” he said.
“It has no right to ask the Philippines how the latter administers areas over which it has sovereign rights.”