Beijing’s defense ministry has issued a stern warning against any plots to stir unrest in the South China Sea. Senior Colonel Jiang Xiaokang, spokesperson for the ministry, addressed recent military maneuvers by the Philippines, United States, Japan, and Australia near Huangyan Island.
These nations conducted what they called a ‘joint patrol’ in the airspace and waters adjacent to the disputed island. Meanwhile, the US and Philippines held strategic talks, criticizing China’s activities in the region as threats to peace, stability, and economic interests across the Indo-Pacific.
Colonel Jiang dismissed these actions as provocative. ‘Countries like the United States, outsiders to this region, are flexing their military might from afar to deliberately create chaos,’ he stated. He accused the Philippines of repeated violations of China’s sovereignty, labeling it a ‘troublemaker’ harming shared regional interests.
China maintains indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and sovereign rights over adjacent waters, Jiang emphasized. Turning to US allegations of Chinese nuclear explosion tests, he called them baseless. China adheres to a no-first-use nuclear policy, pursues a defensive strategy, keeps minimal forces for national security, avoids arms races, and upholds its commitment to suspend nuclear tests without violation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
This firm stance underscores Beijing’s resolve to safeguard its maritime claims amid rising tensions. As multinational patrols intensify, the region braces for potential escalations, with economic stakes hanging in the balance for global trade routes.