China has issued a warning to the United States against any support for the Philippines following a series of incidents between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported on Wednesday.
“The United States should not use bilateral treaties as a pretext to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, nor should it support or endorse the Philippines’ illegal actions,” Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi told Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, during a meeting in Beijing, according to Chinese broadcaster CCTV.
The White House national security adviser arrived in Beijing on Tuesday and Wang said he wanted to hold “in-depth” talks with the United States.
Tensions between Beijing and Manila have escalated in recent months, particularly with a series of clashes in the South China Sea, where China claims a large part of the islands and reefs despite an international court ruling rejecting these claims in 2016.
Beijing announced on Monday that it had taken “control measures” following a new incident with Philippine vessels near a disputed atoll in this sea, the fourth clash in a week.
According to CCTV, Wang told his American counterpart that China was “firmly committed to safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the islands in the South China Sea.”
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Japan and the Philippines, two US allies, blamed Beijing for the tensions in the region. Tokyo said China was the “biggest disturber” of peace in Southeast Asia.
Jake Sullivan’s trip to Beijing, which is expected to last until Thursday, is the first by a US national security adviser to China since 2016.