China Warns US Ally About Its 'Red Line'

Micah McCartney

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China has warned the neighboring Philippines its patience is limited as the Southeast Asian country continues its efforts to push back against Chinese activity within its exclusive economic zone.

Manila has disregarded Chinese goodwill and restraint and "repeatedly challenged China's principles and red line," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Monday's regular press conference.

The two countries are locked in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. Half a dozen countries, including the Philippines, contest China's claim over most of the energy-rich sea. Washington has recently reiterated that an attack on Philippine ships or aircraft anywhere would trigger its Mutual Defense Treaty with Manila. This follows several clashes between Philippine forces and China's coast guard and maritime militia ships.

"Over the past few months, it has been the Philippines who is breaching the common understandings with China and heightening tensions in the South China Sea," Wang said.

Wang faulted the Philippines for trying to rally "external forces" to join it in piling on pressure on China. He also accused the country of trying to change the status quo at the Spratly Islands' Second Thomas Shoal through its regular supply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre, a warship deliberately grounded there to stake Manila's claim.

China says the 1999 marooning of the Sierra Madre, where a contingent of Philippine troops is stationed, is illegal. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal took no stance on the sovereignty of the unoccupied atoll but supported Manila's right to underwater resources within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

Wang said that by "tying itself to some major power," Manila will not succeed in getting Beijing to "back down on issues concerning China's core interests."

The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. didn't immediately respond to Newsweek's written request for comment.

Chinese coast guard boats are pictured at the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on November 10. China and the Philippines are locked in a territorial dispute in the sea.

Wang was responding to remarks Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made to the press while in Japan on Saturday. He called the South China Sea the "most complex geopolitical challenge that the world faces."

Marcos, whose administration has been strengthening its ties with the U.S. as well as ally Japan, also stressed the importance of military-to-military interoperability between the two countries.

"For this, the US should weigh up carefully and not get burnt by playing with fire," said Chinese nationalistic tabloid the Global Times in an editorial this month, adding that the Philippines should be cautious about not becoming "a victim to be exploited."

The Times cited a Chinese professor who said that Philippine policymakers had "seriously misjudged the situation" in their efforts to pressure China and that Washington and Tokyo will throw the Philippines under the bus "when necessary."