News - China accuses US of escalating tension in South China Sea

The US authorities are playing a shameful role in deepening the tension in the South China Sea, using the territorial disputes between China and the Philippines for selfish purposes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of China has noted in a statement. "(…) driven by selfish geopolitical calculations, the US has played an extremely ignoble role by supporting and assisting the Philippines in infringing on China’s sovereignty, and by exploiting the South China Sea issue to drive a wedge between China and other regional countries," stated the Chinese MFA spokesperson. According to the statement, Beijing blames Manila for the recent tension in the region. The Philippines had violated its obligations, "incited disputes at sea and joined forces with foreign powers, displaying military might", as well as "spreading false information that discredits China." "It becomes clear whose interests are being served by the foreign policy of the Philippines, for whom it is working by taking actions in the sea," the statement said. “Countries in the region need to stay vigilant and always make sure that they themselves are the ones sitting in the driver’s seat when it comes to the peace and stability of the South China Sea.”