China accused Philippines of “provoking trouble” in the South China Sea with support from the United States, escalating tensions a week after both nations exchanged accusations over a maritime confrontation.
Wu Qian, spokesperson for China’s defense ministry, stated on the ministry’s official WeChat account on Friday that the Philippines, “with US support and solicitation,” had been inciting unrest in multiple areas of the contested waters. Wu added that international treaties have defined the Philippines’ territorial scope, excluding China’s claimed Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.
The South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely, is a flashpoint for disputes among several nations, including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. These nations argue that China’s extensive territorial claims infringe upon their exclusive economic zones (EEZs), defined as 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from a country’s coastline.
Last week, Philippine officials reported that Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannons and sideswiped a fisheries bureau boat heading to deliver supplies to Filipino fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal. The US condemned China’s actions. However, China’s Coast Guard accused Philippine ships of attempting to enter what Beijing considers its waters around the shoal, also known as Huangyan Island.
China recently submitted nautical charts to the United Nations to support its claims. The Philippines dismissed the move, calling the claims “baseless and illegal,” citing a 2016 international tribunal ruling under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The tribunal found no legal basis for China’s expansive claims and deemed its blockade of the Scarborough Shoal a violation of international law.
Despite the ruling, China has refused to recognize the decision. Meanwhile, the Philippines and other ASEAN nations continue to push for a South China Sea code of conduct, urging it to align with UNCLOS principles.
