At the Shangri-La Dialogue held on Sunday, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro made unwarranted accusations against China regarding the South China Sea issue. In response, Major General Meng Xiangqing from the delegation of the China People’s Liberation Army National Defense University said that the root cause of the tensions in the South China Sea lies in the Philippines stirring up trouble at sea with the backing of external forces, provocative infringement and interference by external forces.
Meng noted that the Philippines has been persistently provoking incidents around Huangyan Dao, frequently dispatching vessels to intrude into China’s territorial waters around the island. It even dispatched corvette speeding at 18 knots directly into the core area, to test China’s response speed, said Meng.
“It must be pointed out that the Philippines has always been the provocateur and China’s actions have been legitimate responses. Here, I solemnly warn the Philippine side: The South China Sea is not a place where the Philippines can act recklessly. We also urge the Philippines to immediately cease its provocations and violations, adhere to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and return to the correct path of bilateral negotiations. We are determined and capable, together with ASEAN countries, to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation.” Meng stressed.
