Ministry of National Defense: The Philippines is using security cooperation as a pretext to provoke infringements with the involvement of related countries.
On the afternoon of September 24, the Ministry of Defense held a regular press conference, where Colonel Jiang Bin, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, answered reporters' questions.
Reporter: According to reports, the Philippines has recently rallied some countries to organize a maritime security expert group for a joint military exercise during the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting, with the exercise area located near China's Huangyan Island. What is your comment on this?
Jiang Bin: The ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting is an important platform for countries to enhance mutual trust and cooperation, and to maintain regional peace and stability. The Philippine side, taking advantage of its role as a co-chair of the maritime security expert group, completely disregards the principle of consensus and coerces relevant countries to conduct joint military exercises in the air and sea areas near China's Huangyan Island. Under the guise of security cooperation, it engages in infringement provocations and sensationalism, seriously undermining regional peace and stability, and going against the regional consensus of "jointly safeguarding peace and promoting development."
Huangyan Island is an inherent territory of China, and China has indisputable sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over Huangyan Island and its surrounding waters. We urge the Philippine side to stop this clumsy farce, abandon its infringing delusions, and earnestly fulfill its responsibilities as the chair country, playing a constructive role in promoting dialogue and cooperation among regional countries and maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea.
The Philippines is conducting joint military exercises with ASEAN countries near Huangyan Island, which China claims as its territory. China has condemned these actions as provocations and violations of its sovereignty. The Chinese Defense Ministry has called for the Philippines to stop these exercises and fulfill its responsibilities as chair of the maritime security expert group.
- Philippines is organizing joint military exercises with ASEAN countries.
- Exercises are taking place near Huangyan Island in the South China Sea.
- China asserts sovereignty over Huangyan Island and nearby waters.
- China urges the Philippines to cease provocative actions.
- The exercises are seen as a violation of China's territorial claims.