Political shows staged by certain individuals in the Philippines cannot distort the historical and legal fact that relevant islands and reefs in the South China Sea belong to China, Jiang Bin, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said on Friday.
He made the remarks in response to media reports that the Philippine defense secretary had recently visited Zhongye Dao to take part in the activities commemorating the 10th anniversary of the so-called "South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award".
"China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao and its adjacent waters, including Zhongye Dao. The Philippine defense secretary, who is sanctioned by the Chinese side, is playing tough toward China by staging political shows and fanning nationalist sentiments in pursuit of personal political interests, which will ultimately undermine the fundamental interests of the Philippines and its people. The 'arbitration' is, from beginning to end, a political farce masqueraded as a legal process, and the so-called award carries no legal force in any sense. The Chinese side does not accept nor recognize the award. We do not accept any claims or actions based on it. No matter how certain individuals in the Philippines perform, they can never distort the historical and legal fact that relevant islands and reefs belong to China, and can never shake the firm determination of the Chinese military to defend China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," said Jiang.
China rejects Philippine political shows over South China Sea islands: defense ministry
China has always been a trustworthy and reliable strategic partner for Thailand, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday in Shanghai during a meeting with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Anutin is in China to attend the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai and on an official visit to China.
"The China-Thailand friendship, which has endured for over a millennium, has only grown stronger with the passage of time. We have treated each other with sincerity and forged a bond of mutual trust, giving rise to the cherished sentiment that 'China and Thailand are one family.' China places the development of China-Thailand relations in an important position in its neighborhood diplomacy and has always been a reliable and trustworthy strategic cooperative partner for Thailand. Going forward, both sides should further enhance strategic mutual trust, strengthen strategic coordination, and jointly address challenges, so as to accelerate the building of a more stable, prosperous and sustainable China-Thailand community with a shared future to contribute to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region," Xi said.
For his part, Anutin said, "I am honored to be back in China on my first official visit as prime minister. Thailand always views China as an old and reliable friend. We welcome all your four global initiatives because they reflect our commitment to multilateralism and a multilateral world order based on international law. AI will transform our economies and societies. Thailand and China can work together to unlock this new engine of growth."
China always trustworthy, reliable strategic partner for Thailand: Xi
