On December 17, 2025, the Chinese mainland's Ministry of National Defense issued a strong condemnation of the Philippines' “thief crying stop thief” tactics in the South China Sea.
Spokesperson Jiang Bin responded to what he called “false accusations” by the Philippines regarding the Chinese mainland's maritime law enforcement actions near Xianbin Jiao. According to Jiang, Philippine authorities “deliberately organized and dispatched a large number of vessels to intrude into the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao illegally.” He added that some personnel on these vessels even brandished knives to threaten Chinese coast guard officers carrying out lawful operations—an act he described as “utterly egregious in nature.”
Jiang underlined that the measures taken by the Chinese mainland were “necessary actions to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.” He stressed they were “reasonable, lawful, professional, and restrained.”
This incident underscores the sensitivities around territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
