Manila says Beijing only has itself to blame for its “low credibility with the Filipino people.”
The Philippines has hit back after China warned the U.S. ally over its plan to upgrade a remote military outpost less than 130 miles from Taiwan.
“China’s pronouncements and acts are the main reasons for its low credibility with the Filipino people,” the Philippines’ Defense Ministry wrote on Saturday in a press release.
Thie latest salvos came just weeks after representatives from Manila and Beijing met to discuss ways to lower the tensions around their territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
Last week, the Philippines concluded its latest supply run to its marine outpost at China-claimed Second Thomas Shoal, apparently without a hitch— unlike the showdowns seen during other recent missions. This sparked discussions over whether the envoys might have made progress.
Early last week, Philippine armed forces chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
