The governor of a Philippine province has suggested that China will not hesitate to attack the Philippines if it becomes involved in a conflict with militaries hosted by Southeast Asian countries.
Governor Manuel Mamba of Cagayan province, about 600 kilometers south of Taiwan, said Tuesday that Chinese Vice-Minister Sun Weidong conveyed the warning during a meeting in Beijing last May.
“They will be forced to consider us as enemies,” added the governor, who opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Philippines.
Mamba shared Son’s message as the Philippines and the United States recently concluded joint military exercises with limited participation from other countries. The exercises were held in multiple regions of the country, including Cagayan and Batanes province near Taiwan.
“As long as there are no foreign troops here, I think we can avoid getting involved in any kind of war,” Mamba said, adding that breaking the military base access agreement with the United States would end China’s bullying in the South China Sea. He pointed out that it can also be done.
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US and Philippines hold annual Balikatan exercise amid rising tensions with China
US and Philippines hold annual Balikatan exercise amid rising tensions with China
Sun also reiterated China’s preference for a bilateral approach in dealing with maritime disputes with the Philippines and the need for the two countries to maintain “good neighborly relations.” Mr Mamba said he hoped the province, which is primarily agricultural, would benefit from China’s economic growth.
“We just talk, and we leave that to the diplomats, not the generals. When the generals start talking, it’s war. But when the diplomats are talking, they always have a bright side and a gray area in between. “We look at the maritime conflict,” he said of the maritime conflict.
Despite Sun’s statements about the possibility of armed conflict, Mamba said he believed China would never go to war or invade any country, given its economic status. Stated.
China’s extensive claims in the South China Sea were invalidated by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2016. China rejected the decision, even though it is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which allows for arbitration.
