Military Space News
FLOATING STEEL
China warns Philippines to 'act with caution' after maritime clashes
China warns Philippines to 'act with caution' after maritime clashes
by AFP Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Dec 21, 2023

China has warned the Philippines that it "must act with caution", Beijing's foreign ministry said, following a string of incidents in the disputed South China Sea as Manila increasingly stands up to Chinese assertiveness in the region.

Videos released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed Chinese ships blasting water cannon at Philippine boats this month and there was also a collision between vessels from the two countries during tense clashes at flashpoint reefs.

Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, said on a call with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo on Wednesday the two countries were "facing serious difficulties", blaming Manila for changing its policies, according to a readout.

"Wang Yi said China-Philippines relations are currently facing serious difficulties," it said late on Wednesday.

"The root cause is that the Philippines has changed its longstanding policy stance, reneged on its own commitments, continued to provoke and stir trouble at sea, and undermined China's legal rights."

"China-Philippines relations are at a crossroads. Faced with the choice of where to go, the Philippines must act with caution," the readout said.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea and has ignored an international tribunal ruling that its assertions have no legal basis.

It deploys boats to patrol the busy waterway and has built artificial islands that it has militarised to reinforce its claims.

Manalo described his call with Wang as "frank and candid", according to a readout released by the Philippines foreign ministry on Thursday.

"We had a frank and candid exchange and ended our call with a clearer understanding of our respective positions on a number of issues," the readout quoted Manalo as saying.

"We both noted the importance of dialogue in addressing these issues."

- Envoy summoned -

The Philippines summoned China's envoy on December 11 and flagged the possibility of expelling him following the latest clashes.

The videos released by the Philippines were of incidents during two separate resupply missions to fishermen at Scarborough Shoal and a tiny garrison at Second Thomas Shoal the previous weekend.

There was also a collision between Philippine and Chinese boats at Second Thomas Shoal, where a handful of Filipino troops are stationed on a grounded warship, with both countries trading blame.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos met Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in San Francisco, where the pair discussed the maritime territorial disputes.

Marcos later told a forum in Hawaii the Philippines would not give up "a single square inch of our territory".

burs-je/pbt

Related Links
Naval Warfare in the 21st Century

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
FLOATING STEEL
Yemen rebels vow to keep up Red Sea attacks despite US warnings
Dubai (AFP) Dec 19, 2023
The United States condemned "unprecedented" attacks by Yemeni rebels on Red Sea shipping as the Huthis pledged Tuesday to continue military operations despite the announcement of a new maritime protection force. The flurry of drone and missile attacks by the rebels, the latest of which targeted two vessels on Monday, threaten to upend global trade flows, with major shipping firms halting traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin warned Tuesday that the attacks "threat ... read more

FLOATING STEEL
Raytheon's LTAMDS achieves new success in tactical ballistic missile interception test

Raytheon's RTX Interceptor destroys ballistic missile in key test

Northrop Grumman tests enhanced GMD system in missile defense demonstration

PAC-3 integrates with LTAMDS Radar

FLOATING STEEL
US Army Receives First Batch of Lockheed Martin's Precision Strike Missiles

Poland says US-built missile base 'operational' from December 15

Northrop Grumman Achieves Milestone in Solid Rocket Motor Development

Israel continues push into Gaza, where rockets launch to target Tel Aviv

FLOATING STEEL
Romania summons Russia envoy over drone crash 'crater'

Drone war intensifies between Russia, Ukraine in latest strikes

Egypt air force downs drone off south Sinai

Iranian, Chinese charged by US with exporting drone components to Iran

FLOATING STEEL
HawkEye 360's Pathfinder constellation complete five years of Advanced RF Detection

New antenna offers unprecedented flexibility for military applications

WVU Team Tackles Radio Interference in Astronomy with NSF Funding

Quantum Space launches Sentry to pioneer deep space communications network

FLOATING STEEL
Lithuania now a repair hub for Ukraine's tanks

US concerned over reports Israel used white phosphorus

US approves new Ukraine aid despite Congress impasse

Germany says EU won't reach ammo target for Ukraine

FLOATING STEEL
US Congress passes huge $886 bn defense budget for 2024

Senate passes sweeping $886B defense policy bill

US will 'continue' to provide arms to Israel: Pentagon chief

Blackwater founder acquitted in Austria 'combat' plane case

FLOATING STEEL
Ex-US Marine says he feels abandoned in Russian prison

Germany to finish deploying brigade to Lithuania in 2027

Russian PM to visit China from Tuesday

China's Xi says strong Russia ties a 'strategic choice'

FLOATING STEEL
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.