China on Thursday denied issuing a veiled warning against the Philippines in an advertisement that appeared on a daily broadsheet earlier this week.
The full-page advertisement by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on the Philippine Star last Aug. 11, entitled, Window to China, featured the statement delivered by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a regional forum in Malaysia last week.
It also contained an ancient poem, which some view as a cryptic warning directed to the Philippines – one of Asia’s most vocal critics on Beijing’s sweeping claim in the South China Sea.
Wang’s statement admonished the Philippines and its allies, such as the United States and Japan, for questioning its policies and ownership over the resource-rich where it claims to have “historical” and “indisputable” sovereignty.
The Chinese official also singled out Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario for his scathing remarks against China in the same meeting that was also attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry and foreign ministers from Southeast Asian nations, Japan, Russia and Australia, among others.
Embassy spokesperson Li Lingxao, in a statement to GMA News Online, downplayed media reports implying that China is threatening the Philippines.
“The article ‘Wang Yi on the South China Sea issue at the ASEAN Regional Forum’ published on "Window to China" on Aug.11 is meant to express the official position of the Chinese government on the issue of the South China Sea,” Li said.
“It has been reported by major newspapers around the world including some Philippine newspapers,” she added.
The same advertisement also included a poem by Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zi that read: “The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole waiting in the backdrop.”
An explanation was written below the poem, saying: “This image describes those shortsighted people wanting to hurt others, unaware of greater lurking dangers.”
China and defense analyst Jose Custodio said n a television report that such references by China is already considered a warning against the Philippines.
China, he said, had a practice of using cryptic messages against its enemies in the past.
“I think it’s a warning. It’s a cryptic message. If you still don’t get what they’re saying then something will happen,” Custodio said in Filipino.
Li called Custodio’s observation as “far-fetched.”
“’Window to China’ introduces the Chinese traditional culture each week such as ancient poems, verses and philosophies as a way to let people know more about China,” Li said. “It is far-fetched to link the particular traditional Chinese saying with other things.”
Without referring to China, Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose reiterated the Philippine position that all countries with claims to the South China Sea must abide by the 2002 non-aggression agreement.
“We call on all claimant countries to adhere to the provisions of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea that call on parties to exercise self-restraint and not to use force or threat of force in asserting their claims in the South China Sea,” Jose said in a text message.
Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei are the other claimants to the South China Sea, home to a cluster of islands, islets, shoals, cays and reefs where undersea oil and gas deposits in several areas have been discovered.
Taiwan, a self-ruling democratic state considered by China as its renegade province, is not a signatory to the sea code, but also asserts ownership to the waters.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/532788/news/nation/china-no-threat-against-phl-in-newspaper-ad
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