Philippines calls for expulsion of Chinese diplomats as South China Sea dispute escalates

By Karen Lema

MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines’ national security adviser on Friday called for the expulsion of Chinese diplomats over the alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Philippine admiral, in a significant escalation of a bitter dispute over the South China Sea .

China’s embassy in Manila orchestrated “repeated acts of engagement and dissemination of disinformation, disinformation and disinformation” with the aim of sowing discord, division and disunity, Eduardo Ano said in a statement.

These actions “should not go unnoticed without serious penalties,” he said.

China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the call to expel diplomats. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The two countries have been involved in a series of heated standoffs over the past year in disputed areas of the South China Sea as the Philippines, encouraged by support from the United States and other allies, steps up activities in waters occupied by the country’s vast coast guard. China.

China has accused the Philippines of invasion and treason, while Manila has rebuked Beijing for what it says is a policy of aggression and dangerous maneuvers within its exclusive economic zone.

The expulsion of diplomats could intensify a dispute that has so far seen heated arguments, diplomatic protests and rammings and water cannons from Philippine ships in two disputed shoals, the closest of which is more than 850 km (530 miles) away from the Mainland China. .

Ano was referring to a report this week about an alleged leak of a call between a Chinese diplomat and a Philippine admiral discussing a dispute over the South China Sea, which contained a transcript showing the admiral agreeing to concessions with China.

According to the transcript published by the Manila Times, the admiral agreed to China’s proposal for a “new model” where the Philippines would use fewer ships on missions to resupply troops at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, and would notify Beijing of missions with advance.

Reuters did not hear the reported telephone conversation and was unable to verify the contents of the published transcript. The report states that the conversation took place in January and the transcript was provided by an unnamed “senior Chinese official.”

‘INTERFERENCE OPERATIONS’

Ano said he supported the Defense Minister’s call for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take appropriate action against embassy officials, who he alleged had recorded an alleged telephone conversation in violation of Philippine laws, including its anti-wiretapping law, as well as serious violations of diplomatic protocols. .

“Those individuals in the Chinese embassy… and those responsible for these malign influences and interference operations must be removed from the country immediately,” he said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Wednesday that the embassy in Manila has released details about “relevant communications” between the two countries regarding the management of the situation at Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines has parked. troops on a stranded warship.

Lin, in comments shared by the embassy, ​​did not specify what details or communications were released, or when, but said “the facts are clear and supported by concrete evidence that cannot be denied.”

“The Philippines insisted on denying these objective facts and seeking to deceive the international community,” Lin added.

China has long been angered by the Philippines keeping a small group of marines at Second Thomas Shoal aboard a rusting ship that intentionally ran aground on a reef 25 years ago.

Beijing has repeatedly said the Philippines agreed to tow the ship, which Manila rejected.

Manila-based political analyst Julio Amador said the expulsion of diplomats should be part of the Philippines’ diplomatic toolkit and that Chinese embassy officials have shown they do not value their working relationships with Philippine officials.

“Diplomacy is based on trust, but China is trying to make it appear that all meetings between its diplomats and Philippine government representatives are negotiations with binding results,” he said.

“It has no right to make demands on the Philippines about how it administers the areas over which it has sovereign rights.”

(Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Neil Fullick and Raju Gopalakrishnan)