After calling the United States (US) a “bully” that has driven a wedge between the Philippines and China, and has heightened tensions in the South China Sea region, the Chinese Embassy in Manila claimed on Sunday, March 12, that there was still freedom of navigation in the disputed region despite concerns raised by the international community.

In a statement, the embassy questioned US’ interests in the region and its continued strengthening of military alliance with the Philippines amid tensions brought about by maritime disputes in the South China Sea and China’s conflict with Taiwan.

“To bundle the Philippines into the chariots of geopolitical strife will seriously harm Philippine national interests and endangerregional peace and stability. On the South China Sea issue, there is no problem of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. When talking about free and open waterways, what the US has in its mind is actually the freedom of rampage of its warships in the South China Sea,” the statement read, adding that the US military had been stirring up “trouble” in the region.

It further said Washington had been “ganging up with its allies from other parts of the world to flex muscle in the South China Sea.”

“By doing these, the US has not only heightened tension, driven wedge between China and the Philippines, but also has disturbed and upset the joint effort of countries in this region to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the embassy said.

It also questioned the Philippines’ plan to add four sites to the five existing military sites that US forces have access to under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

This came after the governors of Isabela and Cagayan raised concern to having their provinces used as additional EDCA sites since these could be military targets in the event of an armed conflict in the Taiwan strait, and after an interview by US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson.

The envoy said that the EDCA sites in the northern Philippine provinces would enhance their abilities to defend themselves and grow their economy.

The embassy cited the apprehensions by former president Rodrigo Duterte, lawmakers, progressive groups, and legal experts on the proposed EDCA expansion.

“Those visionary people all asked the soul-searching questions: If the new sites are located in Cagayan and Isabela, which are close to Taiwan, does the US really intend to help the Philippines in disaster relief with these EDCA sites? And is it really in the national interest of the Philippines to get dragged by the US to interfere in the Taiwan question?,” it asked.

It lamented that the US’ “hegemony and selfish geopolitical interests and out of the cold-war mentality” is threatening peace in the region.

“Now that China and the Philippines, among other countries of the region, are at a critical juncture of post-Covid recovery, we should keep to the right track of maintaining good-neighbourliness and attaining mutual benefit rather than getting distracted by forces who are fanning the flame and driving a wedge between us, even less inviting a bully into our community,” the embassy stated.

“We need to focus on cooperation and development, and truly safeguard, promote and build peace, stability, prosperity of our region and bring more tangible benefits to people of our two countries,” it added.

The regional tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait are at the cusp of heightened events that have raised concerns in the international arena.

Despite the 2016 Arbitral Award that invalidated China’s sweeping claims of the islands and features of the South China Sea, Beijing has continued building military structures there and sending fishing and military vessels.

This pushed the US to reiterate the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) that tasks Washington to come to Manila’s defense in case of “armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of the Coast Guard in the South China Sea.”