China urges the Philippines to stop provocations on Ren’ai Jiao issue

(ECNS) -- “We ask the Philippines to stop going back on its word and stop its provocations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference on Tuesday.

Chinese state media reported Sunday that personnel on a Philippine ship pointed guns at China’s Coast Guard last month. The Philippine military spokesperson on Tuesday denied this at a press conference.

“On the situation at Ren’ai Jiao, China has made its position clear on multiple occasions. On this issue, it is the Philippines who has repeatedly infringed on China’s rights, made provocations and heightened tensions,” Mao stressed.

The spokesperson added that the Philippines’ grounding a warship at Ren’ai Jiao is itself illegal. “Since then, the Philippine side has further made frequent provocations, heightened tensions and escalated the situation. We find that simply unacceptable,” she said.

China has more than once made clear its principled position on how this issue should be handled. “We ask the Philippines to stop making provocations, and return to the right track of handling differences through dialogue and consultation,” she concluded.