China has denied being a “threat” to any country following the recent claims of Senator Imee Marcos that Beijing has plans to use hypersonic missiles aimed at military installations in the Philippines.
“I’m not sure what the Philippine side’s source was, but I can tell you that China is committed to peaceful development and a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, and China does not pose a threat to any country,” said China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning in a press conference on Thursday.
The senator earlier said that she was worried about alleged hypersonic missiles that are targeted at 25 areas including the military installations under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States.
But the sister of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. did not disclose where she obtained the information and just said that she saw a report that “looked reliable”.
The Philippines’ National Security Council (NSC) and the Department of National Defense (DND) have downplayed the senator’s claims.
‘WE WILL NOT SIT BY’
However, China warned that it will act when it comes to its territorial rights.
“That said, we will certainly not sit by and watch when our legitimate rights and interests and regional peace and stability are being violated or under threat,” the Chinese official added.
“We urge relevant country to listen to the concerns its people have and the call from other countries in the region, bear in mind the fundamental interests of its own people, stay independent, good-neighborliness and friendship, earnestly respect other countries’ security concerns, and act to keep the region peaceful and stable.”
Tensions continue to grow in the highly disputed West Philippine Sea following Beijing’s recent acts of aggression.
But the Department of Foreign Affairs said that the Philippines and China recently had a bilateral meeting in Manila in a bid to de-escalate and manage the disputes in the WPS. —RF, GMA Integrated News
