China has issued a stern warning to the United States, urging it to refrain from aggravating tensions in the South China Sea.
This warning comes in response to recent remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding the security pact with the Philippines and escalating rhetoric over territorial disputes in the region.
Blinken’s assertion of an “ironclad” security commitment between the United States and the Philippines has drawn sharp criticism from Beijing. The Chinese embassy in the Philippines issued a statement rebuking Blinken’s remarks, labeling them as baseless accusations that ignore the legitimacy of Chinese activities in the South China Sea.
According to the embassy’s statement on Wednesday, China maintains that its actions in the region are lawful and justified. Furthermore, the embassy denounced Blinken’s invocation of the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty obligations as a form of coercion, firmly opposing any attempts to leverage the treaty against China’s interests.
The Mutual Defense Treaty, established in 1951 between the Philippines and the United States, mandates mutual support in the event of an attack on either party. However, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s call for clarification on the extent of this security commitment has added complexity to the situation.
Secretary Blinken’s assertion that the security deal extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft, including its coast guard, has only heightened tensions. China has condemned such assertions, accusing the U.S. of undermining peace and stability in the region by intervening in maritime disputes where it has no rightful stake.
The Chinese embassy’s statement emphasized that the U.S. purported aim of safeguarding freedom of navigation is merely a guise for asserting dominance over the region.
“The U.S. keeps saying that it wants to safeguard freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, but in fact it wants to guarantee the freedom of navigation of U.S. warships. The fact that U.S. warships and planes travelled thousands of miles to China’s doorstep to flaunt their might and provoke trouble is an out-and-out hegemonic activity,” the Chinese embassy said.
The ongoing war of words underscores the deep-seated geopolitical tensions between the two global powers. As the United States seeks to reaffirm its security commitments in the Asia-Pacific region, China remains steadfast in defending its territorial claims and sovereignty.
Chioma Kalu
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