(4 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beijing – 04 June 2024
1. Wide of news conference
2. Wide of reporters
3. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson:
“First, the Philippines’ act of sending warships to ground at Ren’ai Reef (Second Thomas Shoal) is illegal. The repeated provocations by the Philippines that stoke up conflicts and escalate tensions are unacceptable. China has made clear our principled position on multiple occasions on how to deal with this issue. We hope the Philippine side will stop making trouble and instead return to the right track of resolving differences through dialogue and consultation.”
4. Mid of reporters
5. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson:
“China sincerely congratulates Ms. Sheinbaum on her election as the president of Mexico, which is a large country in Latin America and an important emerging market. Under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, China-Mexico relations have maintained a good momentum of development, with deepening political mutual trust, fruitful practical cooperation, active people-to-people exchanges, and close multilateral collaboration. China has always viewed the development of China-Mexico relations from a strategic and long-term perspective and is willing to work with the new Mexican government to strengthen the alignment of the development strategies of the two countries, continuously enrich the connotation of China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership and promote the relationship between the two countries to a new level.”
6. Close of reporters
7. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson:
“China and Europe have formed a deeply embedded pattern in supply chain, industrial chain and value chain. China will insist on promoting high-level opening up, providing an open, inclusive and transparent business environment for enterprises from all countries. We hope the European side will abide by its commitment to uphold free trade and oppose protectionism and work with China to safeguard the overall situation of China-EU economic and trade cooperation.”
8. Wide of news conference
STORYLINE:
China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the Philippines’ “repeated provocations” are “unacceptable” after its state media accused a Philippine ship of pointing guns at the Chinese coast guard.
The Philippines troops stationed on disputed Second Thomas Shoal pointed guns in the direction of a Chinese coastguard vessel during a standoff last month, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday.
On Tuesday, the Philippine military denied this allegation, saying the troops have acted with professionalism while stressing their rights to self-defense in the face of provocations.
At a daily news briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed the question asking for a detailed situation on the ground but again criticized Manila for grounding the vessel on the islet claimed by China as Ren’ai.
“We hope the Philippine side will stop making trouble and instead return to the right track of resolving differences through dialogue and consultation,” Mao said.
Tensions between the two sides have increased after the Chinese coast guard fired water cannons that damaged a Philippine vessel in April.
Separately, Mao congratulated Mexico’s projected presidential winner Claudia Sheinbaum for being elected the country’s new president.
Sheinbaum, the favored successor of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will become the first female president in the country’s 200-year history.
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