China warns Philippines against US military presence in region

On Thursday, protesters held anti-US placards in front of the military headquarters in Quezon City in suburban Manila as the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart Carlito Galvez held a bilateral meeting. PHOTO AFP China warned countries to stay alert and not allow the United States to exploit them after the US and the Philippines announced plans to expand Washington's military presence in the Southeast Asian country.

The US military deployment in the region has been strengthened by zero-sum mentality out of self-interest. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said such moves are escalating tensions in the region and endangering regional peace and stability.

Countries in the region should remain vigilant against this and avoid being exploited by the US, Mao said at a daily news briefing.

Her remarks came after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Philippine Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez announced on Thursday that US forces would have access to four more Philippine military camps.

The deal falls under the countries Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which dates back to 2014. The deal marks the first time in 30 years that the US will have a large military presence in the Philippines, according to the New York Times.

Austin arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday from the Republic of Korea, where he expressed the US's readiness to increase its deployment of advanced weapons.

China has always believed that defense and security cooperation between countries should contribute to regional peace and stability, rather than harm a third party or harm a third party's interests, Mao said.

After Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen hosted former head of US Indo-Pacific Command Phil Davidson on Thursday, Mao urged the US to stop all official contacts with the Taiwan region and refrain from creating new tensions across the Taiwan Straits.

It is a matter of the Chinese people, and must be decided by the Chinese people, Mao said, stressing that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.

Mao pointed out that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities repeatedly seek the US' support to push for its independence agenda, and certain US individuals try to use Taiwan to contain China. He told the US to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three China-US joint communiques.

She said that the US side should honor the commitment made by the US leader that the country does not support Taiwan independence and should stop interfering in the Taiwan question.