Philippines, China exchange ‘strong protests’ over South China Sea clash

Manila: The Philippines and China have made “strong” protests over an encounter between the vessels of the two countries in South China Sea waters.

The protests were exchanged during a meeting between Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Foreign Ministers’ meetings on East Asia cooperation in Manila.

During the meeting, Lazaro reiterated the Philippines’ strong protest over China’s actions against Philippine personnel near Ayungin Shoal and the image in the China Daily video.

Following the meeting, Lazaro, in a post on X, wrote, “I met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings for candid discussions on Philippines-China relations. I reiterated our strong protest over the unacceptable actions against Filipino personnel near Ayungin Shoal, and the disturbing imagery in China Daily video. At the same time, we discussed the importance of keeping communication lines open, managing tensions, and pursuing practical ways forward.”

During the meeting, Wang lodged a strong protest against Philippine personnel ramming a Chinese law enforcement vessel at Ren’ai Jiao. (IANS)

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