China warns Philippines over Taiwan remarks amid rising tensions

Beijing warns Manila to halt ‘playing with fire’ aft Marcos signals imaginable Taiwan struggle involvement.

China has sharply criticised Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr aft helium suggested his state would beryllium drawn into a imaginable struggle betwixt China and the United States implicit Taiwan.

During a authorities sojourn to India this week, Marcos said the Philippines’ geographic proximity and the ample Filipino assemblage successful Taiwan meant the state would beryllium forced to get progressive successful the lawsuit of war.

“If determination is an all-out war, past we volition beryllium drawn into it,” Marcos told Indian broadcaster Firstpost. “There are many, galore Filipino nationals successful Taiwan and that would beryllium instantly a humanitarian problem.”

In response, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a powerfully worded connection connected Friday, informing Manila not to “play with fire” and urging it to uphold the 1 China principle.

“Geographical proximity and ample overseas populations are not excuses for interfering successful others’ interior affairs,” the connection read.

Tensions betwixt China and the Philippines person intensified successful caller years implicit territorial disputes successful the South China Sea. Both sides person accused each different of provocations, with altercations astatine oversea involving ramming incidents, h2o cannon blasts, and clashes involving weapons specified arsenic spears and knives.

Beijing continues to asseverate that Taiwan is portion of its territory and a breakaway province, a presumption Taipei rejects.

China besides dismissed Marcos’s justification arsenic undermining some planetary instrumentality and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations charter, saying his comments hazard destabilising determination bid and harming the interests of the Philippine people.

Marcos’s travel to India besides saw the signing of caller information agreements aimed astatine strengthening defence ties betwixt New Delhi and Manila, including practice betwixt some countries’ armies, aerial forces and navies. Indian warships recently began associated patrols with the Philippine Navy successful the contested South China Sea successful a determination apt to choler China.

In different motion of rising tensions, Philippine officials earlier this week condemned the motorboat of a Chinese rocket, which they said dropped suspected debris adjacent a occidental province, alarming residents and threatening section ships and aircraft. No harm oregon injuries were reported.

The escalating maritime standoff has besides progressively drawn successful the United States, which has a communal defence pact with the Philippines. Washington has reaffirmed its committedness to support Filipino forces, including coastguard personnel, craft and nationalist vessels, should they travel nether onslaught anyplace successful the South China Sea.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies