NANANAWAGAN ang Amerika sa Beijing na itigil na ang ginagawa nitong “provocative at unsafe conduct” sa bahagi ng West Philippine Sea.
Ito’y kasunod sa nangyaring insidente na muntik nang magkabanggaan ang barko ng Chinese at Philippine Coast Guard sa tinaguriang disputed islands.
“We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct. The United States continues to track and monitor these interactions closely,” ayon sa US State Department.
Dahil dito, nagpahayag ng suporta ang Washington sa Pilipinas, dahil aniya ang ginawa ng Chinese Coast Guard ay malinaw na pangha-harass at pag intimidate sa barko ng Pilipinas.
Muling iginiit ng U.S. State Department ang mutual defense commitment nila sa Pilipinas sa ilalim ng 1951 treaty.
Ayon sa Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning: “The Ren’ai Reef is part of China’s Nansha Islands. On April 23, two Philippine Coast Guard vessels intruded into the waters off the Ren’ai Reef without Chinese permission.”
“One of them made deliberate provocative moves by closing in on a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. In accordance with the law, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel upheld China’s sovereignty and maritime order by making timely maneuvers to dodge the dangerously approaching Philippine vessel and avoid collision. The Chinese side’s maneuvers were professional and restrained.”
I need to stress that the intrusion of the Philippine vessels carrying journalists into the Ren’ai Reef waters was a premeditated provocation designed to deliberately create friction, be blamed on China and hyped up in the media. China strongly protests and deplores this. We urge the Philippine side to respect China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and stop making moves that might complicate the situation, ayon pa sa Chinese MFA. VERLIN RUIZ