MANILA, Dec 20 (Reuters) – China’s embassy in Manila accused the United States on Tuesday of driving a wedge between the Philippines and Beijing, deploring “baseless accusations” by Washington that it said was trying to stir up trouble in the South China Sea.
The South China Sea has become one of the many flashpoints in the testy relationship between China and the United States, with Washington rejecting what it calls illegal territorial claims by Beijing in the resource-rich waters.
Beijing is reacting to a December 19 statement by US State Department spokesman Ned Price expressing concern over reported “escalating swarms” of Chinese vessels in the disputed waterway and a incident involving a floating piece of rocket.
Price said China’s actions “reflect a continued disregard for other South China Sea claimants and states operating lawfully in the region.” He reiterated that the United States stands by the Philippines in supporting the rules-based international order.
In a statement, China’s embassy in Manila said it was “only natural for neighbors to have differences,” but added:
“The United States continues to meddle in South China Sea disputes and try to drive wedges between countries in the region, creating tensions and damaging regional peace and stability.
“What the United States has done is not to help anyone, but to serve its geopolitical interests,” he said.
China claims vast swaths of the South China Sea that overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Trillions of dollars in trade flow each year through the waterway, which also contains rich fishing grounds and gas fields.
The Philippines last week expressed “great concern” over the “reported swarming” of Chinese ships in a reef and shoal in its exclusive economic zone.
It came a few days after the foreign ministry filed a diplomatic protest over a Chinese coast guard ship that the Philippine military said used force to retrieve a piece of a missile floating in the ocean that was towed by a Philippine ship in the South China Sea.
China has denied that it forcibly seized the object, which it said last month was debris from the casing that protects the nose cone of a spacecraft launched by Beijing.
Report by Karen Lema
Edited by Mark Heinrich
Who is the rightful owner of South China Sea?
Our standards: Thomson Reuters‘ principles of trust.
The conventional wisdom is that China claims sovereignty over “virtually all islands in the South China Sea and their adjacent waters. See the article : No matter China’s new aircraft carrier, these are the ships the United States should take care of.” His claims are “sweeping” and more expansive than those of any other rival claimant.
Who currently controls the South China Sea?
Does China have a legitimate claim to the South China Sea? Since 2014, the PRC has continued to assert claims to a wide swath of the South China Sea, including the right to draw baselines and lock in internal waters across four geographically dispersed island groups and other maritime features.
Does China have the right to claim the West Philippine Sea?
Since the two-day armed conflict between China and the former Republic of Vietnam (South) in January 1974, the Paracels have remained firmly under Chinese control, while the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam each hold a portion of the Spratlies. This may interest you : US sends ‘dangerous signals’ to Taiwan, China tells Blinken.
Does China have ships off U.S. coast?
Under international law, China has no claim to the West Philippine Sea, but Beijing continues to claim it by law and by force of arms. On the same subject : China has criticized the US Senate’s bill supporting Taiwan’s defense. “The Philippines has the right to explore and develop oil and gas in the West Philippine Sea, including Reed Bank, without interruption or harassment from other countries,” he added.
This was not the first time that Chinese naval vessels have sailed near Alaskan waters. In September 2021, Coast Guard cutters in the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean encountered Chinese vessels, approximately 50 kilometers from the Aleutian Islands.
How many ships does China’s fleet have?
Are there Chinese warships off the coast of Alaska? In September 2021, Coast Guard cutters in the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean encountered Chinese vessels, approximately 50 kilometers from the Aleutian Islands.
Where does China keep its navy?
China has the largest navy in the world, with more than 355 ships in its fleet, according to a 2021 report from the US Naval Institute. The United States, China’s main rival, has the second largest navy in the world, with 296 ships, according to a 2022 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Are there Chinese and Russian warships near Alaska?
The Navy of the People’s Liberation Army is divided into three fleets: the North Sea Fleet, based in the Yellow Sea and headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong Province. The East Sea Fleet, based in the East China Sea and headquartered in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.
Which 3 countries occupied most of South China Sea?
A US Coast Guard ship on a routine patrol in the Bering Sea near Alaska encountered three Chinese and four Russian naval vessels in a single formation.
The nine-dash line area claimed by the Republic of China (1912-1949), later the People’s Republic of China (PRC), covering most of the South China Sea and overlapping with claims in the area exclusive economic of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia. , Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
What 3 major cities are on the south coast of China?
| Which countries occupied most of the South China Sea? China’s huge claims of sovereignty over the sea – and the seas estimated to hold 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas – have antagonized competing claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. | # | City |
|---|---|---|
| The city proper | 1 | Shenzhen |
| 10,358,381 | 2 | Guangzhou |
| 12,701,948 | 3 | Dongguan |
| 8,220,207 | 4 | Hong Kong |
Which three countries is the South China Sea located in?
7,071,576
What country owns the largest portion of the South China Sea?
Many countries border the South China Sea; there are peninsular Malaysia, Thailand (via the Gulf of Thailand), Singapore, as well as East Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia in Borneo (Kalimantan).
What was the most common thing traded on the Silk Road?
The nine-dash line area claimed by the Republic of China (1912–1949), later the People’s Republic of China (PRC), covering most of the South China Sea and overlapping with the claims of the exclusive economic zone of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Metal and clay were two important materials to be traded, as well as textiles and all types and carpets, which were highly valued in the east and the west. Exotic foods and spices were particularly valuable items, bringing new flavors like pepper to the west.
What was traded in the silk Roads?
What was the most traded on the Silk Road? An abundance of goods traveled along the Silk Road. Merchants brought silk from China to Europe, where it clothed royalty and wealthy patrons. Other favored products from Asia include jade and other precious stones, porcelain, tea and spices.
