(Dan Tri) – The Philippine national security advisor called for tough action against Chinese diplomats related to an audio tape leak, amid escalating tensions between the two countries in the East Sea.
Philippine national security advisor Eduardo Ano (Photo: Reuters).
Philippine national security advisor Eduardo Ano said on May 10 that the Chinese Embassy in Manila was behind `repeated actions to create and disseminate false and misleading information`,
Mr. Ano said that these actions need to be responded to with `strong measures`.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila has not commented on the above information.
Mr. Ano’s statement referred to the leak of a phone conversation allegedly between a Chinese diplomat and a Philippine admiral about the dispute in the South China Sea, in which a recording showed that the Philippine admiral appeared to
According to a transcript published by the Manila Times newspaper, the Philippine admiral agreed to China’s proposal for a `new model`, in which the Philippines will use fewer ships in supply missions for troops in the area.
The conversation is said to have taken place in January and the recording was provided by a `senior Chinese official`, who was not named.
Mr. Ano said he supported the Philippine Defense Secretary’s call for the Department of Foreign Affairs to take appropriate action against embassy officials, who he said recorded phone conversations
`Individuals in the Chinese embassy and those responsible for these influence and interference activities must be expelled from the country immediately,` Mr. Ano stated.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on May 8 that the embassy in Manila had released detailed information about `relevant contacts` between the two countries on managing the situation in the disputed area.
`The Philippines firmly denies these objective facts and seeks to distract the international community,` the spokesman said.
Tensions between the Philippines and China have escalated recently regarding incidents in the East Sea.
The Philippines summoned a Chinese diplomat to protest against `harassment, ramming, siege, tailing and blocking, dangerous actions, use of water cannons and other aggressive actions by ships.`
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said `China’s aggressive actions, especially the use of water cannons, caused damage` to Philippine ships, and asked the Chinese ships to immediately leave the beach.
Meanwhile, the Chinese coast guard said they had `expelled` two Philippine ships from the waters near Scarborough Shoal (called Huangyan in China).
Scarborough is a shoal located 230km from the Philippine island of Luzon and about 1,000km from the southeast coast of China.
Since then, China has regularly prevented Filipino fishermen from approaching the abundant fishing grounds to fish, even using water cannons to chase them away.
