2023-12-29 12:41:52
China: We will not turn a blind eye to the Philippines’ repeated provocations
The Chinese Ministry of Defense confirmed on Thursday that Beijing will not turn a blind eye to “repeated provocations and harassment” from the Philippines, and on the other hand, accused the Taiwanese authorities of exaggerating the issue of their supposed interference in the upcoming presidential elections.
This month, Manila accused the Chinese Coast Guard and a Chinese naval force of repeatedly firing water cannons at its resupply ships, causing “severe damage to the engine” of one of them, as well as “deliberately” colliding with another ship.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian described these accusations during a press conference as “completely false hype,” saying that the Philippine side insisted on sending ships to “incursion” into the waters near the disputed shoals, and “preemptively rammed” a ship. To the Chinese Coast Guard.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian at the monthly press briefing in Beijing on Thursday (AP)
The spokesman added that the Chinese Coast Guard implemented the necessary measures that were justified and legitimate.
Wu said: “China is always committed to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation and making joint efforts to maintain maritime stability, but we will not turn a blind eye to repeated provocations and harassment from the Philippines.”
A Philippine military spokesman said this week that the country is not provoking conflict in the South China Sea, after Chinese state media accused Manila of relying on US support to constantly antagonize China.
Relations between the two neighbors became tense over the South China Sea, during the era of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with Manila strengthening its relations with the United States, which supports it in its maritime disputes with China.
Wu said at the press conference: “We urge the United States to immediately stop interfering in the South China Sea issue, put an end to encouraging and supporting Philippine aggressions and provocations, and take concrete measures to protect the security of the region.”
A Philippine supply boat sails near a Chinese Coast Guard ship in the South China Sea on October 4, 2023 (Archyde.com)
Taiwan and election interference
Regarding Taiwan, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said, “The authorities of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan are exaggerating the issue of China’s interference in the elections.”
In response to a question during a press conference, the spokesman accused Taipei of seeking to “inflame confrontation and manipulate the elections.”
China considers Taiwan a territory of its own that has not yet been able to reunite with the rest of its territory since the end of the civil war in 1949.
However, China asserts that it prefers a “peaceful” reunification with the region, whose population of nearly 23 million is subject to a democratic system.
But Beijing also does not rule out the use of military force to achieve this.
Taiwan flag in the capital, Taipei (Archive: AP)
One of the main topics raised in Taiwan’s elections expected on January 13 is how the presidential candidates will manage relations with China.
The Taiwanese authorities have expressed concern several times about Beijing’s alleged interference in the upcoming elections and media disinformation campaigns.
Myanmar and security risks
The Chinese embassy in Myanmar (Burma) on Thursday asked its citizens to leave an area in the north of the country on the border between the two countries, citing increasing security risks due to the ongoing battles between the Burmese army and armed ethnic groups.
Fighting has been raging in Shan State, located in northern Myanmar, since an alliance of three of these groups launched a joint attack against the army at the end of October.
The coalition had seized several towns and border centers vital for trade with China, developments that analysts considered the biggest military challenge to the military group since it took control in 2021.
The National Democratic Alliance Army, one of the members of the tripartite alliance, pledged to regain control of the town of Laokai, located in an area bordering China, run by militias allied with the army, and known for gambling games, prostitution, and Internet fraud.
The embassy said in a statement, “Conflicts in Laokai, Kokang region… continue, and security risks have increased for people stranded there.”
It reminded “Chinese citizens in the Laokai area to leave as soon as possible.”
Media linked to the National Democratic Alliance Army reported earlier this week that the ruling military group carried out air strikes in the Kokang autonomous region surrounding Laukai, and bombed parts of the town.
Earlier this month, China announced that it was mediating talks between the army and a coalition of ethnic armed groups, reaching an agreement on a “temporary ceasefire.”
However, clashes continued in parts of Shan State. The Tang National Liberation Army, another member of the coalition, said it had captured two additional towns in recent days.
On Thursday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry described the situation in Kokang as “bleak and complex.”
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Naing said, “China has always considered that maintaining the momentum for the ceasefire and peace talks is in the interest of all parties concerned in Myanmar.”
Analysts say that China is establishing relations with armed ethnic groups in northern Myanmar, some of which share close ethnic and cultural ties with China and use Chinese currency and mobile networks in areas it controls.
Beijing is a major arms supplier and an ally of Burma’s military government, but relations have worsened in recent months due to the military group’s failure to crack down on consortiums running cyber fraud operations in Burma, which Beijing has said target Chinese citizens.
Last month, protesters participated in a rarely spoken demonstration in Rangoon in which they accused China of supporting an alliance of ethnic minorities, in a move that analysts considered to have been authorized by the military authorities in Burma.
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