Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 9) — China rejected the Philippine House of Representatives’ resolution condemning its actions in contested waters, saying it “groundlessly” smeared its name, as Beijing again accused Manila of “hyping up” their maritime dispute.
\”The resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the Philippines groundlessly criticized, misrepresented and smeared China. We firmly reject it,\” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday.
Earlier this week, Philippine lawmakers approved the resolution which denounced China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), including laser-pointing, water cannon use, and other forms of harassment against Philippine vessels.
Among the more recent incidents is the collision of Philippine and Chinese ships in October due to the latter’s “dangerous blocking maneuvers” that imperiled the Filipino crew onboard.
But the East Asian power claimed it is Manila that is stepping out of line and infringing on its sovereignty.
“We once again urge the Philippines to stop hyping up maritime disputes between China and the Philippines, stop its infringement of China’s sovereignty and provocation at sea, return to the right track of resolving maritime disputes through negotiation and consultation as soon as possible and work with China to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Wang said.
This is despite the 2016 arbitral award that invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea and recognized the Philippines’ sovereign rights in areas within its exclusive economic zone.
China continues to reject the landmark ruling, insisting it has \” indisputable sovereignty\” over relevant waters.
