China urges US to stop supporting Philippines ‘provocations’

China on Friday urged the United States to stop tolerating and supporting “provocations” from the Philippines, after Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell expressed concern over Beijing’s “destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea .

China and the Philippines recently accused each other of “unsafe and illegal maneuvers” involving each other’s ships in the area around Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed atoll in the busy waterway.

“The United States should stop tolerating and supporting the Philippines’ provocations and nuisances and take concrete measures to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said , Mao Ning.

The Philippines sent missions to resupply soldiers living aboard a rusting and aging warship deliberately beached by Manila in 1999 on the atoll to bolster its claims to sovereignty.

At a regular press briefing, Mao added that the Philippines had turned its back on consensus with China, questioning its sovereignty and territorial integrity and insisting on providing construction materials for the warship.

On June 17, a Filipino sailor was injured after what the Southeast Asian country’s military called an “intentional high-speed ramming” by the Chinese coast guard, a claim China disputed , asserting that the actions were lawful.

Campbell made the remarks to Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu in a phone call on Thursday, the US State Department said.

The day before, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Philippine counterpart Eduardo Ano had raised their shared concerns about China’s “dangerous and escalatory actions.”

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to the security of the Philippines, the White House said.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.