The Philippines is not provoking conflict in the South China Sea, the country's military spokesperson said on Tuesday, in response to China's accusation that Manila is encroaching on Beijing's territory.
"Philippines is not provoking conflict. We follow international law and we are only implementing our domestic law, meaning the limits of our territorial waters and exclusive economic zone where we have sovereign rights," Medel Aguilar told state-run broadcaster PTV.
The comments come after the People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, wrote that the Philippines has relied on U.S. support to provoke China with "extremely dangerous" behavior.