China has warned the United States not to bring "conflict and war chaos" to the Asia-Pacific after Washington and its allies opened up the possibility of building ammunition facilities in the Philippines. This issue adds to the heat of security competition in the region, which has been tense in recent years, especially in the South China Sea.
Arab News, quoted Thursday, March 26, reported that the US-led intergovernmental defense group last week agreed to review funding for a new line of assembly and production of ammunition in the Philippines. The decision was made by 16 members of the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR), which was also followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry assessed that the plan for the facility has the potential to disrupt regional stability and will actually backfire on the parties involved. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian asked the US and its allies to respect the aspirations of countries in the region and not bring bloc confrontation to the Asia-Pacific.
"The United States and its allies must earnestly respect the common aspirations of countries in the region ... and refrain from bringing bloc confrontation, conflict, and war chaos to the Asia-Pacific," Lin Jian said at a press conference, Thursday, March 26, quoted from Arab News.
Lin also issued a stern warning to countries that open themselves up to such facilities. "If the countries concerned are willing to become a powder keg and an ammunition depot, it will only backfire on themselves," he said.
Beijing's statement comes amid continued tensions between China and the Philippines over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the strategic waterway, although an international ruling says the claim has no legal basis.
Amid the new plans for the ammunition facility, Beijing insisted it would not budge. Lin said China would "firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and security interests."
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