“The Philippine side ignored the good faith and restraint shown by the Chinese side, reneged on its words … and repeatedly made provocations by intruding into the waters adjacent to China’s Renai Jiao,” he said, using the Chinese name for the shoal.
China and Philippines blame each other for latest South China Sea collision
China and Philippines blame each other for latest South China Sea collision
The Philippines said Chinese coastguard ships had “harassed” and fired water cannons at its vessels, and later summoned China’s deputy chief of mission in Manila to protest against the “aggressive actions”.
China defended itself by saying the Philippine vessels had illegally intruded into waters adjacent to the reef in the Spratly Islands, known in Chinese as the Nansha Islands.
The collision was the latest confrontation involving the two countries in the South China Sea, the strategic waterway over which Beijing has vast territorial claims.
Similar to earlier confrontations, the incident took place as Philippine vessels conducted a resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal, where it has stationed a small number of troops.
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Chinese floating barrier blocks entrance to Philippine ships at South China Sea flashpoint
Chinese floating barrier blocks entrance to Philippine ships at South China Sea flashpoint
On Friday, Zhang repeated those calls, saying the Philippines had tried to repair and reinforce the warship to permanently occupy the shoal by delivering construction materials under the guise of supplying daily necessities.
“It is the Philippine side that resorted to deception,” he said. “Such illegal and void acts severely violate China’s sovereignty and are doomed to failure.”
Zhang also framed Beijing’s actions as taking necessary measures, while claiming that some Philippine military officials had “made shows and played [the] victim”.
“They were trying to deceive both themselves as well as others. But no matter how they perform, nobody will buy their story,” he said.
Beijing warns South Korea to ‘watch yourself’ after remarks on South China Sea
Beijing warns South Korea to ‘watch yourself’ after remarks on South China Sea
Philippine officials have been vocal in recent months when calling out China’s actions in the disputed waterway, often trading harsh words with Beijing.
Following this month’s incident, a Philippine navy official made clear that Manila would not allow Beijing to remove its military outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal.
The confrontations between the two Asian countries last year have drawn the Philippines closer to the United States, with Marcos set to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken next week to discuss security matters, among other issues.
In a veiled reference to the US, Zhang said “some big powers outside the region … try to back up the Philippines, stir up trouble and create turmoil in the region”.
“Such moves of using the Philippines as a pawn for selfish gains will find no support, as they go against the common aspiration of regional countries for peace and development,” he said.
Source: scmp.com
