Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday warned his Philippine counterpart that Manila would “bear the bitter consequences” if it tried to provoke Beijing with the help of other countries.
Wang made the remark as he lodged a “strong protest” during talks with Theresa Lazaro, the Philippines’ top diplomat, in Manila over what he called an “aggressive act of ramming a Chinese law enforcement vessel” at a disputed reef in the South China Sea on Monday.
It was the third day Beijing has protested over the confrontation at Second Thomas Shoal involving a Chinese coastguard vessel and two Philippine Navy rubber boats.
Relations have been tense between Beijing and Manila in recent years, with frequent clashes in disputed waters of the South China Sea.
Beijing has also been on high alert as Manila has sought closer defence and security ties with Washington and Tokyo. The Philippines is considered a vital link in the “first island chain” that the United States sees as a way to contain Chinese naval expansion.
