PH's military aid from US 'will lead to greater insecurity' — China
China has claimed that the Philippines' seeking of military funding from the United States "will only lead to greater insecurity" of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
It also said that doing so will only turn the Philippines into someone else's cheese piece.
Lin Jian, spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, made the pronouncement on Wednesday night, July 31, following the US' announcement of $500 million in foreign military financing to the Philippines.
The amount will help fund the modernization of the Philippine military and the coast guard to improve its response capability, among others, against threats in the West Philippine Sea.
Lin said the US must not interfere in the Philippines-China sea row as it "is not a party to the issue of the South China Sea."
"The Philippines needs to see that ganging up with countries outside the region to engage in confrontation in the South China Sea will only destabilize the region and create more tensions. To seek security assurance from external forces will only lead to greater insecurity and turn oneself into someone else’s chess piece," Lin said.
"Any moves to resort to bloc politics and military confrontation will not be popular among the people and will not succeed," he added.
Meanwhile, he also hit Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo's defense on the US' deployment of its mid-range capability missile system during the Balikatan Exercises.
He claimed that the Philippines enabled "a country outside the region to fuel tensions and antagonism in this region, and incite geopolitical confrontation and arms race."
Manalo had earlier said the introduction of the US intermediate missile system was only for defensive purposes and not for offensive one.
"This region cherishes peace and prosperity, and does not need those missiles and confrontation," he said.
Lin cited China's message that the "only proven way to protect one’s own security and keep the region peaceful and stable is to commit oneself to good-neighborliness, return to dialogue and consultation and maintain strategic independence."