After latest clash at sea, China warns Philippines of ‘bitter consequences’
Tensions between China and the Philippines have escalated following a maritime confrontation near the Scarborough Shoal. Beijing has issued stern warnings to Manila regarding its deepening security ties with the United States and Japan.
Why it matters
This conflict highlights the growing risk of military escalation in the South China Sea, a critical global trade route and a focal point of US-China geopolitical rivalry.
Fresh tensions flared near a disputed South China Sea shoal on Thursday, a day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned his Philippine counterpart of “bitter consequences” if Manila provoked Beijing with outside backing.
China’s coastguard said it drove away two Philippine government vessels near Scarborough Shoal after the ships “ignored repeated Chinese warnings and deliberately entered waters under China’s jurisdiction”.
The Chinese coastguard took “necessary measures in accordance with the law” to “expel” them, coastguard spokesman Jiang Lue said.
The latest stand-off comes a day after Wang warned his Philippine counterpart on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila that the Philippines would “bear the bitter consequences” if it tried to provoke Beijing with the help of other countries.
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