In Response to Various Provocations by the Philippines on the South China Sea Issue, the PLA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Issue Rebuttals on the Same Day

[Global Times reporter Guo Yuandan, Global Times special correspondent in the Philippines Fan Fan] In response to the various provocative actions by the Philippines regarding the South China Sea issue, both the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army refuted these claims on the 13th.

At a regular press conference held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 13th, a foreign media reporter asked about a statement from the Philippine National Security Council, which indicated that laboratory analysis confirmed that samples recovered from Chinese vessels near the Second Thomas Shoal in February this year and October last year contained cyanide. What is China's comment on this?

In response, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian reiterated that the Second Thomas Shoal is part of China's Nansha Islands and is Chinese territory. The Philippine vessels illegally ran aground on the Second Thomas Shoal, severely damaging the ecological environment of the shoal, as confirmed by relevant reports. At the same time, Zhao emphasized that the Philippine side's illegal interference with normal fishing activities of Chinese fishing vessels, seizing the livelihood supplies of fishermen, and staging the so-called "cyanide farce" is completely untrustworthy and not worth rebutting.

In addition to confusing right and wrong regarding the Second Thomas Shoal, the Philippines has also rallied the United States and Australia to conduct the second joint maritime exercise of the year recently. According to Reuters, the Philippine military stated on the 13th that the purpose of this exercise is to enhance maritime defense capabilities and highlight "the deepening defense cooperation among the three countries and their shared commitment to regional security."

In this regard, Colonel Zhai Shichen, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command, firmly stated on the 13th that "the theater forces will resolutely defend national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and firmly maintain regional peace and stability." According to Zhai, from April 9 to 12, the Navy of the Southern Theater Command conducted routine patrols in the South China Sea. The Philippines' rallying of external countries for so-called "joint patrols" disrupts the South China Sea and undermines regional peace and stability.

Meanwhile, the outside world has also noticed that against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East and unstable global energy supplies, the Philippines has signaled a desire to improve relations with China and promote energy cooperation. Reuters reported that in late March, the Philippines and China resumed dialogue on the South China Sea, discussing preliminary arrangements for oil and gas cooperation and hoping to jointly address energy and fertilizer supply issues arising from conflicts in the Middle East.

According to the Philippine News Agency, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement on the 12th that any potential joint oil and gas exploration activities with China or other countries will strictly adhere to the Philippine Constitution and current laws, fully safeguarding national sovereignty rights. Previously, Philippine President Marcos expressed a willingness to resume dialogue on a joint oil and gas project with China.

However, as the Philippine government explores legally viable solutions to address the ongoing energy emergency, some lawmakers are calling for transparency in the resumption of negotiations for joint oil and gas exploration with China. The Philippine think tank Stratbase Institute even issued a statement strongly opposing any joint energy exploration agreement between the Philippines and China.      

In this regard, the official Facebook account of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines recently stated that setting aside disputes and jointly developing is the correct path to maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea and benefiting the countries and peoples of the region. China has made positive progress in promoting maritime cooperation with countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei; why is the Philippines an exception? There is an old Chinese saying: "It is never too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost." As long as the Philippine side shows sincerity, it is not too late for everything.