The Chinese embassy in the Philippines has called on the European Union to stop “provoking trouble” in the South China Sea, and warned the Philippine government against depending on outside powers to resolve territorial disputes in the contested waters.
The remarks, published Thursday on the embassy’s website, were made by an unnamed spokesperson following a visit to Manila by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. During her visit, Kallas voiced concerns over what she described as China’s “coercive and aggressive” actions in the strategically significant maritime region.
“We urge the EU to genuinely respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and to stop provoking trouble,” the Chinese spokesperson said. The statement also asserted that the EU had “no right to interfere” in the regional issue, which has seen increasing tensions between China and several Southeast Asian nations.
The embassy further advised the Philippines to return to “dialogue and consultation” with Beijing rather than, in its words, “fantasising about relying on external forces” to manage the ongoing maritime dispute. The Philippine embassy in Beijing has not issued a response to the statement as of Thursday.
Earlier this week, a joint statement from the EU and the Philippines condemned China’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive measures” against Philippine vessels and aircraft conducting lawful maritime operations in the South China Sea. These operations are taking place within waters that both the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries claim as part of their exclusive economic zones—areas that China asserts fall under its own sweeping territorial claims.
Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, overlapping with the maritime zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The waterway is a crucial global shipping route and a source of growing geopolitical tension, particularly between China and nations that have sought to resist its maritime expansion.
Melissa Enoch
Follow us on:
