Xi to meet with visiting Malaysian PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

At the invitation of the Chinese side, Anwar is paying a working visit to China from Monday to Thursday.

Anwar arrived in Shanghai on Monday, his first stop in China, where he attended the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE). Malaysia was designated as the "Country of Honor" at this year's event. Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Anwar in Shanghai on Tuesday.

China on Wednesday condemned the Philippines' "thief crying stop thief" behavior after Manila organized vessels to illegally intrude into the lagoon of China's Xianbin Jiao in the South China Sea.

Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to Philippines' false accusations about Chinese maritime law enforcement actions against Philippine personnel near Xianbin Jiao.

Jiang said that the Philippines deliberately organized and dispatched a large number of vessels to intrude into the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao illegally. Personnel on the Philippine vessels even brandished knives to threaten Chinese coast guard officers conducting lawful operations, an act that was "utterly egregious in nature".

"The measures taken by the Chinese side were necessary actions to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," the spokesperson emphasized. "They were reasonable, lawful, professional, and restrained."

"In the face of clear facts, certain people on the Philippine side are blatantly distorting the facts, making excuses to deny their own infringement and provocation. They even turned around to accuse China, which is completely reversing right and wrong and crying thief while being one themselves," said Jiang.

"For some time, the Philippine side has repeatedly stirred up incidents at sea, staging self-directed and self-staged farces, deliberately smearing and accusing China, agitating the situation in the South China Sea and undermining regional stability. We solemnly warn the Philippine side that playing the victim, hyping up and sensationalizing the issue will not change the nature of its illegal infringements, nor will it mislead the international community or shake China's resolve to safeguard its rights in accordance with the law. China will continue to take firm and effective measures to resolutely respond to all acts of infringement and provocation," he continued.