O Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference that military cooperation between the US and the Philippines “should not harm China’s sovereignty and maritime rights” and “should not support illegal claims.”
Lin thus reacted to statements by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said today in Manila that the United States will defend attacks on Philippine ships “in any part” of the South China Sea, amid growing tensions between Beijing and Manila over the sovereignty of the territory in these waters.
The spokesperson stressed that China “will continue to take necessary measures to firmly defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights” as well as “maintain peace and stability” in the South China Sea.
For months, the Philippines and China have accused each other of minor clashes and incidents between ships – sometimes from the coast guard – of both countries in waters close to the territories they both claim, including in the Spratly archipelago, in the South China Sea. .
To date, none of these incidents have triggered the mutual defense treaty between the US and the Philippines.
The Chinese Government claims almost the entire South China Sea, a fundamental route for global trade in energy resources, for “historical reasons”.
Beijing also disputes territories with Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei.
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