BEIJING, China – Beijing warned the Philippines on Sunday against provocation and escalating tensions in the South China Sea.
A spokesman for the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army said that the army conducted “routine” patrols in the South China Sea on Sunday.
He also warned the Philippines against any provocations.
The spokesman added that the Philippines must immediately stop provoking incidents and escalating tensions in the South China Sea.
He stressed that Chinese forces will continue to defend the country’s sovereignty in the region.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea.
It is a waterway through which trade worth more than three trillion dollars passes annually.
This comes despite other claims to sovereignty from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.
