China amid sea tension: PH straying down dangerous path

China on Thursday warned the Philippines that it was straying on what it called “a dangerous path” days after its coast guard trained water cannon and heavily damaged a boat on a resupply mission to the Ayungin Shoal. 

In a statement, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense said the Philippines should realize that provocative actions in the South China Sea would only do more harm than good and blamed the US for interference in the region.

“The Philippines’ harassment and provocations are the immediate cause of the recent escalation of the South China Sea issue,” Wu Qian said. 

He said the Philippine side violated international law and the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).

“It is straying further down a dangerous path. The Chinese side will not allow the Philippines to act willfully. So we have responded with legitimate, resolute, and restrained actions,” Wu said.

“The Philippine side should realize that provocations will only do themselves more harm than good, and soliciting foreign support will lead nowhere,” he added. —NB, GMA Integrated News