China stresses three-point principled position on Ren'ai Jiao

China on Tuesday reaffirmed its three-point principled position on handling the situation at Ren'ai Jiao, urging the Philippines to immediately stop maritime provocations.

The remarks came after Philippine personnel from an illegally grounded vessel aggressively harassed a small China Coast Guard patrol boat near China's Ren'ai Jiao.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China's position remains unchanged regarding a provisional arrangement reached with the Philippines in July 2024 concerning humanitarian supplies to the Philippine vessel illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao.

Lin reiterated that China firmly demands that the Philippines remove the vessel, saying its prolonged grounding constitutes an infringement of China's sovereignty and violates the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).

Pending the vessel's removal, China is willing, on humanitarian grounds, to allow the Philippines to deliver daily necessities to personnel stationed aboard, provided that Manila notifies Beijing in advance and the deliveries are verified on site, Lin said. He added that China will monitor the entire replenishment process.

Lin also said that China will never accept any attempt by the Philippines to build permanent facilities or establish a permanent outpost at Ren'ai Jiao, and will take lawful measures to prevent such actions.

Referring to recent developments, Lin accused the Philippines of deliberately provoking incidents at Ren'ai Jiao and violently attacking Chinese law enforcement personnel. He said the Philippine side later distorted the facts and shifted the blame onto China.

"China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to these actions," Lin said, urging the Philippines to honor its commitments, immediately cease maritime provocations and stop the spread of false narratives.

He also pointed to a recurring pattern in the maritime disputes, saying that "every time China and the Philippines were likely to engage in communication, and every time there was an occasion of diplomatic importance in the region, some forces used maritime-related issues to provoke and stir up trouble."

"It is evident who is behind these actions and who is the one to blame," Lin said, adding that China's neighborhood diplomacy has remained consistent and unchanged.