Guo Jiakun

In response to an inquiry regarding reports that the Philippines said it filed a diplomatic protest against China's "continued illegal presence and activities" within Manila's "exclusive economic zone" in the South China Sea, which came after the Philippines said a large Coast Guard vessel, the China Coast Guard (CCG) 5901, returned to the area, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China's sovereignty and rights in the South China Sea were established in the long course of history. They are solidly grounded in history and the law, and are consistent with international law and practices, Guo said.

CCG's patrols and law enforcement activities in relevant waters are lawful, justified and beyond reproach. China calls on the Philippines to stop the malicious accusations, said Guo.

The Philippines' continuous hyping about the CCG vessel in its so-called "exclusive economic zone" reflects its longstanding distorted position, which is actually untenable from a legal standpoint, Li Kaisheng, vice president of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday.

The Philippines' smearing campaign thoroughly exposes the psychological impact of a few Philippine politicians who have been deterred by the patrol and law enforcement of CCG vessels, said Yang Xiao, deputy director of Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

According to Reuters, Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's office said US President Joe Biden also commended the Philippine leader for his diplomatic response "to China's activities in the South China Sea", during a call among Japan, the Philippines and the US.

Yang said that even in the final week of his term, Biden continued to lend support to Marcos Jr., laying bare the collusion between Biden administration and Manila.

The Philippines also hopes to maintain the tension in the South China Sea in order to continue binding the US government's policies, expecting the US to continue supporting the Philippines' stance and even provocative actions in the South China Sea, Li said.

However, the policies of the US government, especially its foreign policy, are in large part tied to the personal stance of the president, according to Li. "With the Biden administration now coming to the end of its term, Marcos Jr. may not achieve what he had desired."