Philippines protests China's test flights in Truong Sa
According to AP, on January 4, the Philippines announced that like Vietnam, it protested China's test flight on the runway that Beijing had recently built at Vinh Thu Tieu (Vietnam's Cross Reef) in the Truong Sa archipelago in the East Sea.
Philippine Foreign Ministry spokesman Charles Jose said the government is considering protesting China's actions.
According to this spokesman, the test flight activity at Cross Reef “further escalates tensions and instability in this area.”
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| China's illegal airstrip built on Fiery Cross Reef. (Source: AFP) |
Last week, Vietnam declared that this test flight violated Vietnam's sovereignty and asked China to stop carrying out similar actions.
China rejected Hanoi's objections and will likely also dismiss Manila's concerns.
The US and Japan also expressed "deep concern" about China's actions in the East Sea.
“Japan is extremely concerned about China’s actions, which are unilateral changes to the status quo” in the region and Beijing’s attempt to turn its rapid and large-scale land reclamation in disputed waters into a “fait accompli,” Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said.
US State Department spokeswoman Pooja Jhunjhunwala criticized China's illegal construction of artificial islands in the East Sea, saying Beijing is planning to use these islands for military purposes./.
According to Vietnam+
