China tells Philippines to stop politicians crossing 'red lines'
China has warned the Philippines to stop certain politicians from crossing 'red lines' regarding diplomatic relations and South China Sea disputes. Beijing claims that bilateral ties are suffering from malicious interference, while Manila emphasizes the need for continued diplomatic dialogue.
Why it matters
The ongoing tension between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea remains a critical geopolitical flashpoint involving international maritime law and US-China regional influence.
The two Asian nations have long been at loggerheads over competing claims in the South China Sea, but tensions have risen in recent weeks following several diplomatic incidents.
Beijing accused Manila last week of "erecting multiple obstacles" to its attendance at a regional meeting in the Philippines, a claim rejected by the Southeast Asian country's defence chief.
Earlier in October, the Philippine foreign ministry summoned Beijing's ambassador after he said China would "easily win" a conflict between the countries, with some local senators calling for his expulsion.
Wang told his Philippine counterpart Theresa Lazaro in a phone call on Tuesday that bilateral relations "were currently facing malicious interference", according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in