Chinese foreign ministry blames Philippine military, coast guard for maritime provocations

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Tuesday blamed the Philippine military and coast guard for deliberate provocations in the South China Sea, after Philippine personnel from an illegally grounded vessel aggressively harassed a small China Coast Guard patrol boat near China's Ren'ai Jiao.

At a regular news briefing, Lin said 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.

"I believe that all of us are very clear about the rights and wrongs of the matter and who is the one behind," he added.

As ASEAN chair for 2026, the Philippines on Monday began hosting the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting. A series of related meetings, including conferences with external partners such as China and the United States, will take place in the following days.