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South China Sea: beware of US ‘sabotage’, Beijing warns Southeast Asia
- Diplomatic spats in the Philippines and Myanmar show the two superpowers are jostling for influence in the region as ties deteriorate, experts say
- US diplomats raise eyebrows with use of the term ‘West Philippines Sea’ and for warning Myanmar of Chinese ‘exploitation’
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China’s Ambassador to the Philippines has urged Southeast Asian countries to be on guard against US attempts to “sabotage” the region’s stability by inserting itself into the South China Sea disputes.
The comments by Huang Xilian follow a hardening of Washington’s position on China’s claims in the sea and come after an op-ed in which his American counterpart, Sung Kim, declared Washington’s support for Manila in the “West Philippines Sea”. This is the term Manila uses to refer to the portion of the South China Sea it claims as part of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and includes areas claimed by Beijing.
The use of the term by a US state department official is rare and likely to be seen as provocative in Beijing, which is still smarting from another op-ed written by a US diplomat who accused China of eroding the sovereignty of Myanmar, one of the Philippines’ partners in the bloc of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
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Observers said the spats were evidence the two superpowers were increasingly jostling for influence in Southeast Asia as their bilateral ties continued to deteriorate and that the pressure on countries to take sides was likely to widen even to those countries without claims in the South China Sea, such as Myanmar.
02:32
Washington’s hardened position on Beijing’s claims in South China Sea heightens US-China tensions
Washington’s hardened position on Beijing’s claims in South China Sea heightens US-China tensions
The US and China have been involved in a trade war since 2018 and acrimony has intensified in recent months amid disagreements on issues ranging from the South China Sea to alleged human rights abuses against Uygurs in Xinjiang and Hong Kong’s national security law.
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US President Donald Trump has accused China of covering up the coronavirus pandemic, accused Beijing of “illicit espionage to steal our industrial secrets” and threatened the US could pursue a “complete decoupling” from the country.
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