China condemns Philippines’ trick of ‘playing victim’

Chinese authorities on Thursday criticized the Philippines’ tricks of “playing victim” in the South China Sea and reiterated that China will not allow it to act willfully and has sufficient strategic resolve.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday that the Philippines always arranges for reporters in their missions to manipulate videos recorded to make sensational news and project the Philippines as a victim.

Although the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FCAP) denied the accusations in a statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at Thursday’s routine press briefing that the FCAP’s statement confused right and wrong and China firmly deplores it.

Also on Thursday, Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said at a routine press briefing that the Philippines’ harassment and provocations are the direct cause of the recent escalation of the South China Sea issue. Counting on the support of external forces, the Philippine side violated international law and the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), frequently infringed upon China’s sovereignty, made provocations and created trouble, and spread misinformation to mislead the international community.

Both Lin and Wu pointed to US intervention as a destructive factor in the South China Sea issue.

Wu noted there is no bigger factor than the US interference in causing turbulence in the region.

Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday that the smear campaign against China was carefully plotted and realized through US-Philippines collusion.

From leaders and politicians to media and think tanks, the Philippines and the US have conspired in the big farce to demonize China and mobilized other allies to amplify their voice in an attempt to mislead international community, Chen said, calling on the Chinese side to fight back with on-site photos, videos and comprehensive ▶ facts.