China urges U.S., Japan and the Philippines to stop undermining regional peace

China urged the United States, Japan and the Philippines to stop playing bloc politics, interfering in China's internal affairs and undermining regional peace and stability, said a spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines on Friday.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to the trilateral summit held by U.S., Japan and the Philippines on Thursday, where heads of the three countries launched baseless attacks against China on the Taiwan question and maritime issues, including the Ren'ai Jiao issue.

Those attacks blatantly interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine China's security and strategic interests, said the spokesperson, adding that the Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to them.

Noting the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and is at the core of China's interests, the spokesperson said the one-China principle is the political premise on which China establishes and develops diplomatic relations with the Philippines.

China urges the Philippines to earnestly observe the one-China principle and act prudently, said the spokesperson.

Noting China has indisputable sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islands, as well as the South China Sea Islands, the spokesperson said China's activities in the East China Sea and the South China Sea are lawful, justified and beyond reproach.

"China will never accept the groundless accusations and malicious smears by relevant countries on the East China Sea and South China Sea issues, and will never accept the illegal award of the South China Sea Arbitration or any unilateral action based on it."

Speaking of recent Philippine provocations in the South China Sea, the spokesperson said China is compelled to take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

"We urge the Philippines to respect the facts, abide by the relevant understandings it has reached with China, and return to the right track of properly managing differences through dialogue and consultation as soon as possible."

The spokesperson noted that the U.S. and Japan use freedom of navigation and overflight as a pretext for "freedom of rampage" of their warships and aircrafts, and blatantly, adding that the U.S. frequently threatens to invoke its Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines to support the latter's violation of China's sovereignty.

Such actions are serious breaches of the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and seriously endanger regional peace and stability, said the spokesperson.

"We urge the Philippines not to collude with non-regional forces, or it will be used as a pawn against China and only to be discarded."

The spokesperson added the U.S., Japan and the Philippines should follow the trend of the times, stop playing bloc politics, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop undermining regional peace and stability.

China will unswervingly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, said the spokesperson.