In an announcement on Monday, The People's Daily, an official publication of the Communist Party of China, has raised alarm over the Philippines' continued reliance on US support to engage in "extremely dangerous" actions in the South China Sea aimed at disrupting regional peace.
The report, published on Christmas Day, has not yet elicited any official response from the Philippines' Foreign Ministry or the national task force responsible for managing South China Sea issues.
Over the past few months, tensions between Beijing and Manila have flared up due to a spate of run-ins in the South China Sea. These include accusations that China rammed a ship carrying the Philippines' armed forces chief of staff earlier this month.
Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued a direct warning, stressing that any misjudgment in the Philippines' dispute would provoke a strong response from Beijing. He called for dialogue as the preferred approach to addressing the significant challenges. This deterioration in bilateral relations coincides with Manila's efforts to strengthen its military partnerships with Japan and the United States, its former colonial ruler and longstanding defense ally for over 70 years.
This month, China expressed its frustration at the United States for sending a naval ship into waters adjacent to the disputed region, where China and the Philippines have engaged in several maritime disputes.
A commentary attributed to Zhong Sheng in the People's Daily, a pen name often used to convey the newspaper's viewpoints on foreign policy issues, criticizes the United States for repeatedly employing its defense treaty with the Philippines to "threaten" China. The commentary insists that the United States has unequivocally backed Manila's actions, which are seen as an infringement on Chinese sovereignty and a worrisome escalation of security concerns. This support is deemed as "irresponsible and extremely dangerous."