China has warned the Philippines that it will take “stronger countermeasure” against Manila if it continues to take activities in the West Philippine Sea that Beijing, which claims the entire South China Sea as its own, finds provocative.
China Defense spokesman Wu Qian made the pronouncement Friday, Sept. 13, as the Philippines lamented the “aggressive actions” being taken by the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) against Philippine vessels in the Scarborough Shoal.
"More provocations lead to stronger countermeasures. Should the Philippine side stubbornly follow the wrong path, China will never back down," he said.
Wu also dismissed the Philippines’ claim over the West Philippine Sea, including the features within it such as the Scarborough Shoal, by saying: “the real issue, however, is never about who has more reporters, but who has more legitimacy.”
Local and foreign reporters in the Philippines are getting aboard some Philippine vessels to document China’s harassment against Filipino personnel.
Wu then accused the Philippines of stirring up trouble in the waters as the latter continues to assert its rights over the West Philippine Sea by conducting legal operations—activities supported by more than a dozen countries.
The Philippines supposedly does it under the support and solicitation of the United States, he added.
“From Ren'ai Jiao to Xianbin Jiao and from Houteng Jiao to Huangyan Dao, such repeated provocations have allowed the international community to see clearly who is undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea and who is fabricating and spreading lies," he claimed.