Philippine Foreign Sec dismisses China's claims on South China Sea as distortions

Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo dismissed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's claims that Manila's maritime actions are influenced by external forces, calling them distortions of the issue.

Manalo emphasized during an interview on Saturday that the South China Sea dispute is about Philippine interests and not part of any strategic rivalry among major powers.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday rejected Wang Yi's statement describing the South China Sea issue as a 'shadow play' orchestrated by other countries, stressing that Manila's decisions are driven entirely by national interest.

China continues to disregard international law and the 2016 Arbitral Award, leading to harassment of Philippine vessels within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) including dangerous maneuvers and use of water cannons.

The Philippines has renamed parts of the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea to reinforce its territorial claims and will take measures if freedom of flights is restricted by China.

No creative analogy or play of words can mask the real issue, which is China's refusal to abide by international law and the adverse effects on Filipino communities genuinely affected by Beijing's illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive behavior at sea.

The DFA urged countries to be circumspect and avoid actions or words that contribute to tensions in the South China Sea.