According to a report by the Philippine news agency on July 23, U.S. President Trump assured Philippine President Marcos on Thursday that he would convey the Philippines' concerns about the latest developments in the South China Sea to China.
The acting minister of the Press Office of the Philippine President’s Office, Dave Gomez, announced that Trump made the aforementioned promises during his phone call with Marcos.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded that the United States is not a party to the South China Sea issue. It has been proven that attempts to use extraterritorial countries to provoke and create trouble ultimately only lead to being used as tools by others, with the consequences being borne by those who act in such ways.
This phone conversation took place on Wednesday of this week in Manila, at the Malacañang Palace during a meeting with US Secretary of State Rubio after.
It is worth noting that after a recent meeting with Chinese leaders, Rubio, in response to reporters' questions regarding Chinese maritime activities, said, "This issue is discussed at every meeting between us." However, he emphasized that dialogue is crucial in order to avoid causing "significant global impact."
Rubio's statement was much more moderate than the wording used in a commentary he published in a major Philippine newspaper this week, which was promoted by the U.S. State Department. In that article, he implicitly criticized Beijing for threatening freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
On the 21st of this month, the person in charge of the Department of Border and Maritime Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Filipino ambassador to China urgently to express serious protest over the deliberate provocations by the Philippines at Ren'ai Reef and the attacks on Chinese maritime law enforcement officers.
China is strongly dissatisfied with this and protests solemnly. China demands that the Philippines immediately stop causing trouble and provoking incidents, as well as stop inciting and exaggerating the situation. China will take measures to firmly defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
On the 24th, Chinese coast guards imposed regulatory measures on several Filipino vessels that engaged in illegal activities in the waters under the jurisdiction of Huangyan Island in China.
