According to the Beijing Daily client, on August 18th, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian hosted a regular press conference.
A journalist asked, according to reports, that the U.S. embassy in the Philippines announced the establishment of a center on Palawan Island to help Filipino fishermen report illegal fishing activities. What is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' comment on this?
Lin Jian said, 'We have taken note of the relevant reports and will keep a close eye on the situation. The Chinese side has always believed that exchanges and cooperation between countries should contribute to enhancing mutual understanding and trust among regional nations, and promote peace and stability in the region. We do not oppose normal cooperation between the United States and the Philippines, but such cooperation should not target third parties or harm the interests of third parties.'
It is worth noting that during the Biden administration, the US had used the so-called 'illegal fishing' as a pretext to target China, and even involved allies in these actions.
In May 2022, the Quad summit held by the United States, Japan, India, and Australia announced a maritime initiative aimed at curbing so-called "illegal fishing" in the Indo-Pacific region.
On June 27, 2022, then-U.S. President Biden signed the United States’ first national security memorandum regarding ‘illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities’. The memorandum required U.S. government agencies to strengthen cooperation and introduce new regulations to combat illegal fishing activities, and stated that this move would promote ‘sustainable development of marine resources’.
Although the lengthy policy framework released by the White House did not mention China, foreign media such as the Associated Press unanimously believe that its content is undoubtedly directed at China. Reuters also pointed out that American officials have long announced plans to introduce policies to “curb illegal fishing activities,” which are actually part of the United States’ efforts to counter China’s growing influence in regions such as the Indo-Pacific.
