The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has protested China’s dangerous maneuvers against Philippines vessels that eventually led to collisions in the Philippine waters and summoned the latter’s top diplomat in Manila to seek for an explanation.
However, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian was out of town when he was summoned on Monday, so the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) of the Chinese Embassy in Manila, Zhou Zhiyong, met with DFA officials on his behalf, DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said.
"We're making full use of diplomatic processes, and are exercising all possible actions available to us," Daza said at a public briefing.
So far, a total of 465 diplomatic protests have been filed by Manila against Beijing since January 2020, including the 55 that were filed this year. But only some of them were replied to, according to Daza.
In a statement, the Chinese embassy said Zhou during the meeting "conveyed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition of the Chinese side to the Philippine side" over the latter's vessels supposed intrusion.
"Zhou said China once again urges the Philippines to take seriously China’s grave concerns, honor its promise, stop making provocations at sea, stop making dangerous moves, stop groundlessly attacking and slandering China," the embassy said.
There was not any promise made by the Philippines to China, the DFA clarified.
Zhou also asked the Philippine side "to tow away the illegally 'grounded' warship as soon as possible so that the peace and stability of the South China Sea will not be jeopardized and the common interests of countries in the region will not be affected."
The Philippines condemned China's "provocative" and "deplorable" action when its coast guard and militia vessels made dangerous maneuvers that led to the collision of a Philippine supply ship and the bumping of a Philippine vessel ship in the Ayungin Shoal on Oct. 22.
DFA said the Chinese actions endangered the lives of people at sea and undermined the "mutual trust, confidence and respect that should underpin our bilateral relations."
"They're also illegal, dangerous, provocative and deplorable," Daza said,
Hence, those "put into serious doubt the sincerity of the Chinese side to uphold the understanding between President Marcos and President Xi [Jinping]," she added.
DFA called on China to act as a "responsible member of the international community if it wants to be respected as the Philippines will not bow down to them.
"China, as a major power, bears a heavier responsibility of contributing to peace and stability in the region," Daza said.
She said the country will continue to assert its sovereignty and sovereign rights and exercise its rights over the West Philippine Sea and its atolls, including the Ayungin Shoal, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling.
"We do not accept any form of interference," Daza said.