Beijing warns Manila, but spox says it is ‘not a threat’
China warned other countries Thursday that it would be “dangerous” to tinker with its Taiwan issue amid its maritime dispute with the Philippines over some parts of the West Philippine Sea.
“The Taiwan question is not and should never become an issue between China and the Philippines” as it is “starkly different in nature” from the maritime differences between Beijing and Manila, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a statement.
The embassy also said that its issue with the self-governing island “is purely an internal affair and does not brook any external interference.”
China had raised alarm after the United States, Manila’s treaty ally, announced plans to build a second port on Batanes Island, just 200 kilometers away from Taiwan’s southern end across the Taiwan Strait.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines also announced plans to hold Balikatan military exercises with the US and other allied troops in the country’s northernmost province.
China, however, assured the Philippines it is not a threat after President Marcos expressed concern about the risk of Beijing’s continued actions in the West Philippine Sea.
China has accused the Philippines of making provocations in the disputed waters, stirring up troubles at sea, and spreading disinformation.
“China poses no threat to any country,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jian Lian said, adding that China has long had territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.
Meanwhile, nine Chinese maritime militia ships and a Chinese Coast Guard vessel massed along the Philippines’ Pagasa Island as it followed two Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ships doing resource assessments at Pagasa’s cays, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
In another development, PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said there is no strong basis to speculate that the Chinese nationals recruited to the Coast Guard’s auxiliary force were spies.
“We have no solid basis to accuse them of being Chinese spies. We also had a vetting process when they applied. They have been helping the Coast Guard for a long time but for humanitarian assistance and donations only,” Balilo said.
He said the PCG also required the Chinese recruits to submit clearances from the Bureau of Immigration, the Philippine National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation, were not involved in their sensitive operations, and were just ordinary businessmen recommended by their Filipino-Chinese peers.
If there were reports that the Chinese nationals are spies, Balilo said the National Security Council will monitor and deal with them.
Beijing stressed that the maritime differences between China and the Philippines “can be compared to (a) spat between neighbors, while the Taiwan question is completely domestic.” “Distinction between the two must not be blurred,” the Chinese embassy said.
Beijing made the statement after it said it noticed certain individuals in the Philippines “acting in contravention of the one-China principle under the disguise of economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchange.” It said the individual’s statement undermined Manila’s long-time stand of implementing the One-China Policy, which recognizes that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government of China; that there is but one China; and that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory.
“In his January reiteration of the Philippine position on the one-China policy, President Marcos said that Taiwan is a province of China, and the manner in which they (Chinese mainland and the province of Taiwan) will be brought together again is an internal matter,” the embassy recalled.
The embassy said Beijing appreciates President Marcos’ statement.
“As long as our two countries follow the principled consensus reached between the heads-of-state of the two countries, keep to the correct direction of the development of bilateral relations, respect each other, properly resolve differences and cooperate for mutual benefits, China-Philippines relations will steer a steady course for the profit of the peoples of the two countries,” the embassy stressed.
The Philippines has long rejected China’s accusations, saying its activities in the waters, including resupply missions, is part of its rights in the West Philippine Sea under international law.
Mr. Marcos, in an interview with Bloomberg, warned of China’s threat, referring to its claims over the whole South China Sea. But the President said the Philippines’ efforts to assert its sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, a part of the South China Sea, do not mean “poking the bear.”
“What has recently escalated the situation concerning the South China Sea issue between China and the Philippines is that the latter has frequently made infringements and provocations, stirred up troubles at sea, and spread disinformation to mislead the perception of the international community,” Lian said.
According to the Chinese official, China’s actions are only in line with safeguarding its interests but it also has striven to properly handle maritime disputes through dialogue and consultation.