China on Sunday lashed out at the United States over the expansion of the U.S. military presence in the Philippines, claiming that Washington is trying to »encircle and contain» Beijing.
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has indicated that »the United States, in order to secure its hegemony and selfish geopolitical interests,» continues to deploy militarily in that country.
»Although the United States claims that such cooperation is aimed at assisting the Philippines in its disaster relief efforts (…), the truth is that these measures are part of the U.S. efforts to encircle and contain China through its military alliance with China,» Ambassador Huang Xilian explained.
Thus, he said that the inclusion of the Philippines in »the geopolitical contest will seriously harm Philippine national interests and jeopardize regional peace and stability».
Therefore, Huang considered that the US military »has come from the other side of the Pacific to create problems in the South China Sea», allying with its partners »to gain muscle» in the region.
In early February, the United States reported that it will have four new military bases in the Philippines, where it will be able to build facilities to store and supply equipment after the two countries agreed to implement the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
This agreement came amid rising tensions in the region due to pressure from China in the South China Sea. Specifically, the Philippines and China are engaged in a territorial dispute over over overlapping claims in the South China Sea, where Beijing has seized areas and built artificial islands with military-capable facilities.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
