BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday accused the Philippines of portraying itself as a victim and spreading false narratives, saying that such efforts cannot change the provocative and illegal nature of the country's acts in the South China Sea.
Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a media briefing when responding to a Philippine vessel's recent collision with a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel near Xianbin Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao.
On Sept. 18, while a CCG vessel was conducting legitimate law-enforcement operations near Xianbin Jiao, a Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings from the Chinese side, deliberately altered course and suddenly accelerated to cut across the bow of the CCG vessel, leading to a collision.
The context of the incident is clear and evident, leaving no room for misinformation from the Philippine side, Jiang noted, stressing that such action seriously threatened the safety of the Chinese crew and vessel, and violated international law and the basic norms governing international relations.
The Chinese side will continue to take effective measures to resolutely safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea, Jiang said.
Regarding the Philippines' efforts to co-opt other countries into a joint military exercise near China's Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea, Jiang said the move is an act of provocation and propaganda in the name of security cooperation, undermining regional peace and stability.
Jiang reiterated that Huangyan Dao is an inherent part of China's territory. China has indisputable sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters.
He urged the Philippine side to stop its infringement attempts, and to play a constructive role in promoting dialogue and cooperation among countries in the region and safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea.
In response to Taiwan's plan to send a retired vessel to the Philippines, Jiang urged Manila to abide by the one-China principle, refrain from any form of official contact or military ties with the Taiwan region of China, and stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.
The Taiwan question stems from China's civil war fought between the forces led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) about eight decades ago. In 1949, the defeated KMT retreated to Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China was founded under the leadership of the CPC.
The unresolved civil war, combined with foreign interference, has kept the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in a prolonged state of political confrontation. However, the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory has never changed. ■
