The Chinese Ministry of National Defense issued a sharp rebuke Wednesday following recent U.S. military engagements with the Philippines, including a new arms sale and joint patrols with Japanese forces in the South China Sea.
In a strongly worded statement, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China’s defense ministry, accused the United States of using bilateral treaties as a pretext to interfere in regional disputes.
According to Zhang, “On the pretext of honoring bilateral treaties, the US is meddling in the South China Sea issue, undermining China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and attempting to threat and coerce China. This approach will simply not work.”
The U.S. also recently approved a sale of F-16 fighter jets to the Philippine Air Force, a move Washington says is intended to enhance regional defense and deterrence. However, Beijing views these efforts as escalatory.
Zhang accused the Philippine government of repeatedly provoking China and blamed “outside countries led by the US” for fueling instability in the South China Sea. “It fully exposed their true intention of making troubles in the region,” he said, referring to U.S. actions and defense coordination with Manila and Tokyo.
The Chinese official warned that Manila’s reliance on foreign powers would not end in its favor. “To the Philippine side, ‘relying on foreign support to make waves at sea’ will backfire and a pawn will only be used and discarded,” Zhang said.
He added, “We urge the Philippine side to give up unrealistic illusions and come back to the right track of dialogue and negotiation at an early date.”
The latest developments mark a further deterioration in relations between China and its neighbors over the disputed waters, where Beijing has intensified military drills and deployed coast guard and militia vessels near contested islands.