China says the Philippines enlisted ‘foreign forces’ to patrol the South China Sea. On Thursday, the southern theater command of China’s military stated that the Philippines had engaged “foreign forces” to patrol the South China Sea and had been causing difficulty since Tuesday, ostensibly referring to the United States.
According to the statement, the military will continue to be watchful, steadfastly protect maritime rights and interests and national sovereignty, and steadfastly preserve peace and stability in the South China Sea.
There might be further problems with China when Philippine officials announced that the U.S. and their military began joint patrols in the vicinity of Taiwan, an island that China claims as its own, on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mao Ning stated that China “has made clear its position to the Philippines and the U.S. that the Philippine-U.S. joint patrols must not undermine China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”
The Philippines’ foreign ministry or the national security adviser’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., relations between China and the Philippines have deteriorated over the South China Sea as Manila moves toward deeper ties with the United States, which backs the Southeast Asian country in its maritime conflicts with China.
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