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China on Monday dismissed U.S. criticism over recent incidents involving Filipino fishers in the South China Sea, insisting its coast guard actions were lawful and blaming the Philippines for what it called provocations near a disputed reef.
Responding to a question during a regular press briefing on December 15, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China has “indisputable sovereignty” over Xianbin Jiao, which he said is part of China’s Nansha Qundao. His remarks came after the U.S. State Department accused China of endangering Filipino fishers by using water cannons and cutting anchor lines.
Guo said the Philippines had “organized and orchestrated” the dispatch of a large number of vessels on December 12 to waters off Xianbin Jiao and accused Philippine fishing boats of deliberately anchoring inside the lagoon despite “repeated dissuasion and warning” from China.
“The Philippines’ so-called fishing ships … have deliberately anchored in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao and repeatedly conducted dangerous maneuvers including veering suddenly off course,” Guo said. He added that Philippine personnel allegedly threatened China Coast Guard officers with knives during what he described as law enforcement operations.
Guo said China’s response was “legitimate, lawful, professional, restrained and beyond reproach,” and accused the Philippines of infringing on China’s sovereignty, violating international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and undermining regional peace and stability.
He called on the Philippines to “immediately stop its infringement, provocations and vilification,” and to refrain from what he described as “self-directed stunts at sea.”
The remarks followed a statement from the U.S. State Department saying Washington would stand with the Philippines in confronting what it called China’s “provocative actions and increasingly dangerous tactics” against its neighbors.
Guo rejected the U.S. position, saying the United States “is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to interfere in the maritime issues between parties concerned.”
“The U.S. needs to stop making fact-distorting and provocative remarks, and stop abetting and supporting the Philippines’ attempt of creating troubles in the South China Sea,” he said.
The South China Sea remains a major flashpoint between China and several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, which claims features and waters also claimed by Beijing. Recent confrontations involving Chinese and Philippine vessels have drawn increased attention from the United States and other allies, raising concerns over regional stability.
