CHINA accused the Philippines on Friday of “provoking trouble” in the West Philippine Sea with backing from the United States, following a recent confrontation between the two nations in the disputed waters.
In a statement on China’s official WeChat account, Wu Qian, spokesperson for China’s defense ministry, claimed the Philippines, with U.S. assistance, has been stirring conflict in multiple locations across the West Philippine Sea.
Wu also emphasized that the Philippines is aware that its territorial boundaries are defined by international treaties and do not include China’s claims to the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.
The accusation follows a series of confrontations between China and the Philippines this year over contested reefs and outcrops in the region, which China claims almost in its entirety.
Other nations, including Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, also claim parts of the sea, concerned that China’s expansive claim encroaches on their exclusive economic zones (EEZs).
The Philippines recently reported that Chinese Coast Guard vessels fired water cannons and side-swiped a Philippine Fisheries Bureau boat delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal.
This incident drew strong condemnation from the U.S.
In response, China’s Coast Guard stated that four Philippine ships attempted to enter waters it claims as its own near Scarborough Shoal, which China refers to as Huangyan Island.
Earlier this month, China submitted nautical charts to the United Nations to support its claims, although the Philippines rejected them, calling China’s assertions “baseless and illegal.”
In 2016, an international tribunal ruled that China’s claims in the region had no legal basis under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and found China’s blockade around Scarborough Shoal to violate international law. Beijing has since refused to recognize the ruling.
The Philippines, along with other Southeast Asian nations, has been negotiating a code of conduct with China for the West Philippine Sea, with some countries insisting that it adhere to UNCLOS.