Chinese embassy denounces US security adviser

MANILA, Philippines – China has slammed United States National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien for his “unreasonable” remarks on the South China Sea, accusing the United States of using electronic codes to civilian planes from the Philippines and other countries in the region to carry out espionage flights over disputed waters.

Beijing, via its embassy in Manila, said in a statement Monday that O’Brien made remarks on the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Taiwan during his visit to the Philippines on the same day.

Embassy said O’Brien openly accused China of fueling tensions in the region, and the US official interfered in China’s internal affairs and deliberately exaggerated regional tensions to sow discord. between China and the Philippines.

O’Brien was in Manila on Monday for the official transfer of missiles and other weapons to the Philippines promised in April by US President Donald Trump to help the government fight Islamic extremists as well as potential aggressors in the South China Sea.

The United States, through O’Brien, also reaffirmed its commitment to protect Philippine forces in the event of an attack in the South China Sea.

But the Chinese embassy said the United States sees itself as a “patron” among countries in the region as well as a “judge.” He also accused the United States of instigating confrontation in the region to thwart efforts by China and ASEAN countries to peacefully negotiate and manage disputes.

Despite Chinese militarization, the embassy insisted that the situation in the South China Sea remains “stable” and even “improving”.

“Solidarity and cooperation are what the world needs most instead of confrontation. Faced with a world with difficulties and challenges, it is against everyone’s interest to exacerbate tensions and widen differences, ”said the embassy, ​​citing the raging pandemic and the global economic crisis. .

But since the start of the pandemic, the US State Department has said China has built new “research stations” on man-made islands fortified on the reefs of Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) and Zamora (Subi). China has also deployed special military planes to the Kagitingan Reef, the United States said.

Not to be kicked out

During a telephone briefing, O’Brien said the United States “is not going to be kicked out” from the Indo-Pacific region.

“So our message is that we are going to be here, we are supporting you and we are not leaving,” said O’Brien.

“We will fight for a free and open Indo-Pacific region with all our friends and partners. And I think when we send this message – this message of peace by force – is the way to deter China, ”he said.

“It’s a way to ensure peace, and it is a way to ensure that there is no war in the region. We certainly don’t want that, ”he stressed.

“The commitment is that we will support them in promoting international law and the rule of law in the South China Sea,” he added.

He pointed out that there is a bipartisan consensus in the United States that it must stand up to China over unfair trade practices, theft of intellectual property, attempts to coerce its neighbors and human rights violations. in Xinjiang with the Uyghur people, the extinction of the democracy movement in Hong Kong and attempts to coerce Taiwan.

“I think all of this activity, not to mention the release of the COVID virus around the world, whether it was accidental or even if it was natural, the Chinese covered up the virus and they silenced those who were trying to shoot the alarm bell. in China. They allowed travel from China to the rest of the world while they stopped travel to China, ”O’Brien said.

China, he said, has intimidated the World Health Organization (WHO) into giving false information about the virus not being transmissible from human to human or by aerosol.

He pointed out that the best way to deter China or to have mutually beneficial relations with the Chinese is to have a strong America and very strong alliances with American treaty allies like the Philippines, Japan, Thailand and Australia.

“We simply cannot have relations with China when we are forced into unfair trade practices, whether there are military actions against our partners and allies,” he said.