AFP: The Philippine military said today that there has been an incident involving the Chinese navy near Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea. The Philippines said that Chinese military vessels conducted “a high-risk maneuver.” What’s your response to that? Can you share more information?Lin Jian: The Philippines’ remarks disrespect facts and confuse right and wrong. Huangyan Dao has always been China’s territory. The Philippine military vessel attempted to intrude into waters of Huangyan Dao. China took necessary measures to handle the matter, which are legitimate, lawful, professional and restrained. The Philippines’ repeated infringement and provocation at sea is the root cause leading to the current tensions. China urges the Philippines to stop infringement and provocation at once, and refrain from challenging China’s firm resolve to safeguard the nation’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
