China will be last to disrupt freedom of navigation in South China Sea — Chinese envoy
MANILA, Philippines — While China has been known to challenge foreign warships sailing in the South China Sea, Beijing's top diplomat in Manila vowed to make sure freedom of navigation and overflight remains uninterrupted in the disputed waterway.
Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua stressed that nearly 75% of food export and import from or to China goes through the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea.
"It goes without saying if South China Sea's freedom of navigation is disrupted or even blocked by someone, we don't need too much imagination to conclude that China is going to be somewhat bad," Zhao said at the celebration of the founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Tuesday.
Zhao also noted that nearly 80% of oil and gas, which is the "life block" for economic and social growth, imported from other places pass through the South China Sea.
The Chinese envoy said Beijing will continue to work with the Philippines, ASEAN countries and other powers outside the region to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
"So China is the last country who would like to see that freedom of navigation in the South Chian Sea is impeded or disrupted," Zhao said.
Zhao's latest pronouncements are contrary to the previous actions of Beijing in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.
Around the same time last year, a Philippine government report showed that the number of Chinese radio messages warning Philippine aircraft and ships to stay away from Beijing's artificial islands in the Spratlys have been increasing.
Accoring to the report, Philippine military aircraft receoved at least 46 Chinese radio warnings in the second half of 2017 alone.
In August 2018, international broadcast network BBC recorded a video showing Chinese military warning off a Philippine military aircraft flying near artificial islands in the South China Sea.
"Philippine military aircraft, I’m warning you again. Leave immediately or you will bear responsibility for all the consequences!" a voice can be heard in the video recording.
Following this incident, Malacañang then said Philippine military aircraft will continue to fly over the disputed South China Sea despite Chinese radio warnings.
There have also been reports of China challenging foreign warships passing through the South China Sea.
In April 2018, the Chinese Navy confronted three Australian warships sailing in the disputed sea. The Australian ships were en route to Vietnam while the Chinese Navy was conducting naval exercises in the South China Sea when this happened.
Just a few months ago, China slammed the US after two warships sailed near Gaven and Chigua reefs in the Spratly Islands.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the Chinese Navy asked the guided-missile destroyers USS Preble and USS Chung-Hoon to leave after entering waters adjacent to the reefs.
"The relevant actions of the US warships violated China's sovereignty and undermined peace, security and good order in the relevant sea areas," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
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