Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi warns US against ‘interference’ in South China Sea
- Wang Yi’s jibe about American naval exercises comes on visit to Philippines where Beijing pledges further support for hosts
- Visit signals growing rapprochement between rival claimants to South China Sea as Washington takes increasingly assertive stance towards Beijing’s activities
China’s foreign minister Wang Yi has warned against “external interference” in the South China Sea in a pointed rebuke to the United States.
The sharp words he reserved for Washington, which has been increasingly critical of Chinese militarisation of the contentious waters, came as Beijing pledged to expand its cooperation with Manila during a visit to the Philippines, signing deals that offered millions in humanitarian and policing aid.
Wang urged the Philippines and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to be vigilant against “interference and disruption coming from the outside” during a joint press conference with his Filipino counterpart, the newly appointed foreign minister Teodoro Locsin.
“As China and the Philippines, and other littoral states in the South China Sea are cooperating to uphold peace and cooperation in the South China Sea, some non-regional countries are doing things completely contrary to our efforts,” he said, in a clear reference to the United States.
“They have been wilful in showing off their force in these waters. Regional countries need to maintain high vigilance … we will not leave any opportunity to be exploited by external forces.”
