On the evening of January 12, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines releases the following statement in response to the statement issued earlier by the Philippine National Maritime Council on the situation in the South China Sea.

China firmly rejects unfounded and misleading statement issued by the Philippine National Maritime Council.

There is no such concept as “maritime zone” in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). UNCLOS only provides for legal regimes such as the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). For a long time, the Philippines has deliberately blurred the distinction between the territorial sea and the EEZ, and has distorted China’s normal activities in waters claimed as EEZ by both China and the Philippines as “illegal patrols”. The Philippines has been misleading the general public all these years by conflating the concepts of the territorial sea and the EEZ.

As early as 2006, China made a declaration according to Article 298 of UNCLOS, excluding disputes concerning maritime delimitation from arbitration proceedings. The arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines without China’s consent is therefore null and void from the outset.

To determine who is responsible for heightened tensions in the South China Sea, one only needs to see who has been provoking trouble.

In 1999, the Philippines illegally grounded a warship at Ren’ai Jiao, seriously infringing upon China’s territorial sovereignty. China immediately lodged solemn representations and demanded that the vessel be towed away. The Philippine side claimed that the ship could not be removed due to lack of spare parts. Since then, despite repeated serious protests by China, and despite the Philippine side’s repeated promises to remove the vessel, the latter has continued to delay action. Over the past more than 10 years, the Philippine side has repeatedly transported steel, cement, and other construction materials to the warship in an attempt to turn it into a permanent military outpost.

Since the second half of 2023, the Philippines has sent multiple Coast Guard vessels, official vessels and so-called fishing vessels to intrude into the territorial waters of Huangyan Dao, forcing China to take necessary measures to safeguard its rights.

From April 17 to September 14, 2024, the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua, MRRV 9701 illegally anchored in the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao for nearly five months, raising serious concerns as to whether the Philippines intended to stage another so-called “grounded vessel” incident. When its official vessels failed to achieve their objectives, the Philippines pushed fishermen to the front line, using them as political tools to intrude into sensitive waters. On December 12, 2025, the Philippines organized and orchestrated a large number of vessels to illegally intrude into the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao.

Article 5 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) clearly stipulates that no party shall take actions to change the status quo of uninhabited features. However, incomplete statistics show that from January to June 2025 alone, the Philippines carried out 30 illegal landings on uninhabited features in the Nansha Qundao such as Tiexian Jiao, involving 211 personnel.

Among all the incidents mentioned above, which one was provoked by China? It has always been the Philippines that has time and again provoked trouble in an attempt to change the status quo. China has been compelled to take necessary measures in response, to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and to ensure the full and effective implementation of the DOC. China has also been exercising maximum restraint and patience. Had this not been the case, the situation on the ground might have been entirely different.

When handling maritime disputes, it is best for concerned parties to sit down and talk in accordance with the principle of respecting the sovereign states’ choice of settling disputes through peaceful means. China has territorial and maritime disputes with some other neighboring countries, which have been resolved through dialogue and consultation, or at least effectively managed. The Philippines also has territorial disputes with other neighbors. Yet these disputes haven’t become prominent issues. Then why China and the Philippines can not find a solution through dialogue and consultation? Unless someone simply does not want that to happen.

A lie repeated a thousand times will never become reality. China stands ready to engage in candid dialogue with the Philippines on the basis of mutual respect to manage differences properly. However, China firmly opposes people like Jay Tarriela, who does nothing but spreading false, twisted, manipulative, misleading and provocative narratives.

No matter when Tarriela makes fallacious remarks on China and the South China Sea, and regardless of how many helpers he may call—one, ten, or a hundred—we are always ready to respond. We will continue to tell facts and share truth to promote understanding and avoid miscalculation so as to grow China-Philippines relationship in a sound way.

Some people provoke confrontation and tension under the pretext of “safeguarding rights”. They push the Philippines to the forefront of geopolitical competition and to the brink of conflict with its friendly neighbor China. This will only seriously damage the fundamental and long-term interests of the Philippines.

(Source:  Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of the Philippines)