The Philippines should stop making waves in the South China Sea by relying on U.S. support, as it will only "backfire", a spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense warned on Wednesday.
Zhang Xiaogang, the spokesman, made the warning in response to a media query about U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's recent visit to the Philippines. During the visit, Hegseth reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty to counter the "China threat", and the two countries also conducted joint sea patrols in the South China Sea amid rising tensions. Additionally, the United States has recently approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines.
Zhang noted that such provocative actions undermine China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, while also threatening regional peace and stability.
"On the pretext of honoring bilateral treaties, the United States is meddling in the South China Sea issue, undermining China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and attempting to threat and coerce China. This approach will simply not work. It needs to be pointed out that the Philippine side has repeatedly made infringements and provocation against China. Outside countries led by the United States have made continued attempts to destabilize the South China Sea through escalating tensions and providing weapons. It fully exposed their true intention of making troubles in the region. To the Philippine side, relying on foreign support to make waves in the South China Sea will backfire and eventually pawns will easily be abandoned. We urge the Philippine side to give up unrealistic illusions and come back to the right track of dialogue and negotiation at an early date," said Zhang.
China warns Philippines against relying on US to make waves in South China Sea
China warns Philippines against relying on US to make waves in South China Sea
The heartbreaking story of 96-year-old Peng Zhuying, one of the last living survivors from the Japanese military's "comfort women" system in the Chinese mainland, has been shared in a moving documentary produced by the China Global Television Network (CGTN).
Peng remains one of only seven registered survivors in the Chinese mainland of the Japanese military's "comfort women" system, a brutal a state-enforced regime of sexual slavery during World War II, victimizing over 400,000 women across Asia.
She is also the only living survivor who is officially documented as a victim of both sexual slavery and of Japan's chemical warfare during the Japanese militarists' war of aggression against China.
Eight decades on, Peng has bravely shared the story of her horrifying experiences in the CGTN original documentary "Last Daughters," which reveals the deep scars left by war and captures the quiet strength and warmth that endured, even in the darkest depths of human suffering.
Blinded by mustard gas at age nine and mutilated at 14 before being forced into a military brothel during the war, Peng was able to survive despite facing these unimaginable hardships in her young life.
Peng shared some of the artifacts and the stories behind them from those difficult days.
"This is a fortune slip, a divination note, meaning you need to be cautious in what you do. When I was 16, my father forced me to study fortune-telling. He told me if I didn't learn, I would not get any food. At that time, I wanted to care for children instead, but I could make the call myself. I had to listen to him to make a living," she said.
She memorized every incantation as part of the fortune-telling custom. For 80 years, it was her livelihood, and she has continued to show strength to overcome any challenges in her life.
"I've gone through so much hardship, and yet I'm still alive. Now, I'm only afraid of getting sick and dying from it. I was sick for most of last year, and have yet to recover until now," said Peng.
Though she survived all the tortures and survived from the atrocities conducted by the Japanese aggressors, Peng's health is never been too strong, as she suffered from severe gynecological injuries and became infertile, while also losing her sight as she fell victim to a chemical warfare attack.
"These are gallstones. She had them for several decades. But she lost her eyesight early on and never had toxic exposure. The only explanation is the mustard gas she inhaled. Life for her has been harsh, far harsher than it appears on the surface," said her nephew Peng Zifang.
Japan's "comfort women" system, a state-sponsored sexual slavery scheme by the military, was unprecedented in modern history. It enslaved at least 400,000 women across Asia and the Pacific, including Chinese, Korean, Filipino and many other victims.
Half of those who suffered were Chinese. The Japanese opened its first "comfort women station" in Shanghai and over 2,100 followed in other places they invaded. Girls, deemed "military supplies," were trafficked like weapons.
Later in life, aged 43, Peng married a fisherman 20 years older than her. Only after his death did she speak openly about what she faced.
"Before my father passed away, he told me the stories of my two aunts. I was deeply shaken. Both of my aunts revealed the truth about the 'comfort stations' only after their husbands died. The often-cited figure [of 400,000] known victims barely scratches the surface of the true scale. Many more endured in silence because of the conservative traditions of that era. To speak up meant risking scorn, oppression and even violence. So they bore it quietly," said Peng Zifang.
Documentary reveals life of Chinese survivor of Japan's sexual slavery during WWII
