MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese Embassy in Manila accused its US counterpart of “overlooking fundamental facts” in the dispute in the South China Sea and branded its accusations “baseless.”
In a social media post after the latest harassment by Chinese ships on Philippine vessels in the Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) last week, Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said Beijing had put “lives at risk” by disrupting a local maritime operation with the “unlawful use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers.”
In a statement on Friday, the Chinese Embassy said the actions it had taken were “legitimate” as these were meant to “protect its territorial sovereignty, maritime rights, and interests.”
Carlson emphasized that the US stood with its “like-minded friends, partners, and allies in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Additionally, envoys from the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, the European Union, expressed their concerns.
The Chinese Embassy insists that China took necessary actions in response to protect its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests by the law. The measures are “justified, lawful, professional, and restrained.” China also released a video on its version of the incident.
A Chinese embassy spokesman claimed that Huangyan Dao, Beijing’s name for Scarborough Shoal, has always been China’s territory.
