China warned the Philippines to stop peddling the “Chinese spy” tag as its authorities arrested last week a suspected Chinese “sleeper agent” involved in espionage activities in military and police sites.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning (Photo from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China)
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning asked the Philippine government to “earnestly protect” the rights of Chinese nationals in the Philippines after she was asked to comment on the arrest of Deng Yuanqing and two Filipino accomplices.
“The Chinese government, as always, asks Chinese nationals overseas to abide by local laws and regulations,” she said.
“We hope the Philippines will stick to the fact, stop shadow-chasing, stop peddling the so-called ‘Chinese spy,’ and earnestly protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals in the Philippines,” the official added.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents, along with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), arrested Deng last Friday, Jan. 17, in Makati City for allegedly gathering sensitive data around military facilities, posing national security threats.
AFP chief Romero Brawner Jr. explained that among the targeted sites were military camps and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.
The NBI said it is still verifying if Deng’s activities were sanctioned by the Chinese government.
The two Filipinos have already executed extrajudicial affidavits saying they were ordered to drive the Chinese around specific areas in Luzon.
Authorities also seized the vehicle driven by the Filipinos. It was equipped with a global navigation satellite system and other scanning devices capable of creating 3D maps of buildings without physical entry.