Ministry of Defense: China Will Take Strong Actions to Curb Any Disruptive Acts in the South China Sea

On the afternoon of October 16, Senior Colonel Tan Xie, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, released a statement regarding recent military-related issues.

Reporter: According to reports, the Philippine side has recently provoked incidents multiple times at Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal, claiming that it will not allow China to issue orders in what it considers Philippine "territory." The Philippine military has stated that in September, over a hundred Chinese military vessels and coast guard ships were monitored conducting regular activities in the waters around Thitu Island and Second Thomas Shoal, believing that China intends to undermine the Philippines' determination to safeguard its own rights. What is your comment on this?

Tan Xie: China has indisputable sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands, including Thitu Island, Second Thomas Shoal, and their adjacent waters, and possesses sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters. The territorial scope of the Philippines does not include these reefs and is therefore not qualified to speak of "safeguarding its own rights." China takes necessary measures in accordance with laws and regulations to maintain its sovereign rights, which is legitimate, reasonable, and professional.

For some time, the Philippine side has disregarded the common interests of regional countries, colluding with external forces to create disturbances, continuously infringing and provoking in the South China Sea, distorting facts, and spreading false narratives, making it a destroyer of peace and a destabilizing factor in the South China Sea. China will take resolute determination and strong actions to curb any actions that disrupt the South China Sea and maintain regional peace and stability.