PH foreign secy dismisses China's external forces claim

Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo dismissed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's accusations that the Philippines' maritime actions are orchestrated by external forces, calling it a distortion of the real issue, which is Manila's national interests.

Manalo stated that the situation in the South China Sea should be viewed as a matter of Philippine interest, not as a strategic rivalry between major powers.

Wang Yi had previously accused the Philippines of having its actions scripted by external forces and livestreamed by Western media to smear China.

The Chinese minister also warned that the Philippines' actions would backfire and that those acting as 'chess pieces' would be discarded.