Philippines calls for expulsion of Beijing diplomats over wiretapping amid escalating tensions in South China Sea
- In Reports
- 07:25 PM, May 10, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Philippines' national security adviser called for the expulsion of Chinese diplomats following an alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Filipino admiral, marking a significant escalation in the bitter dispute over the South China Sea.
Eduardo Ano stated in a release that China's embassy in Manila had orchestrated "repeated acts of engaging and dissemination of disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation" with the aim of sowing discord, division, and disunity.
He emphasised that such actions "should not be allowed to pass unsanctioned without serious penalty".
Ano's remarks stemmed from a recent news report alleging a leak of a phone call between a Chinese diplomat and a Filipino admiral discussing a South China Sea dispute. The leaked transcript purportedly showed the admiral agreeing to concessions with China.
According to the transcript published by the Manila Times, a Philippine admiral had consented to China’s proposal of a “new model”, wherein the Philippines would reduce vessel usage in resupply missions to troops at the Second Thomas Shoal and provide advance notification to Beijing about such missions.
Reuters has not independently verified the reported phone conversation and cannot confirm the contents of the published transcript. The report indicated that the conversation occurred in January and the transcript was provided by an unnamed "ranking Chinese official".
Ano supported the defence minister’s call for the foreign ministry to take action against embassy officials who allegedly recorded a phone conversation in violation of Philippine laws, including the anti-wiretapping act, and breached diplomatic protocols.
He stated, "Those individuals in the Chinese embassy involved in these malign influence and interference operations must be expelled from the country immediately.”
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that the embassy in Manila had disclosed details about “relevant communications” between the two countries regarding the situation at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines has stationed troops on a grounded warship.
Lin did not specify the details or communications released but claimed that they were supported by hard evidence that cannot be denied. He accused the Philippines of denying these objective facts and attempting to mislead the international community.
China has expressed longstanding dissatisfaction with the Philippines’ presence of a small group of marines at the Second Thomas Shoal aboard a warship that was intentionally grounded 25 years ago.
Beijing has repeatedly asserted that the Philippines had agreed to remove the ship, a claim that Manila has refuted.
Image source: Reuters
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