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South China Sea: Philippines seeks expulsion of Beijing’s diplomats over wiretapping as tensions explode
- National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said the Chinese embassy’s actions ‘should not be allowed to pass unsanctioned without serious penalty’
- The demand came after a call between a Chinese diplomat and a Filipino admiral discussing a dispute over the waterway was allegedly leaked
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The Philippines’ national security adviser called on Friday for Chinese diplomats to be expelled over an alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Filipino admiral, in a significant escalation of a bitter row over the South China Sea.
China’s embassy in Manila had orchestrated “repeated acts of engaging and dissemination of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation”, with the objective of sowing discord, division and disunity, Eduardo Ano said in a statement.
Those actions “should not be allowed to pass unsanctioned without serious penalty”, he said.
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A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry on Friday asked the Philippines to cease being provocative and allow Chinese diplomats to perform their duties normally.
The two countries have been embroiled in a series of stand-offs in disputed areas of the South China Sea as the Philippines, emboldened by support from the United States and other allies, steps up its activities in waters patrolled by China’s coastguard.
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China has accused the Philippines of trespassing and of treachery, while Manila has scolded Beijing for what it says is a policy of aggression and dangerous manoeuvring.
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