China yesterday urged the Philippines to take
"tangible" actions to ease tensions in the dispute over Huangyan
Island, as hundreds of Filipinos protested outside the Chinese embassy in
Manila.
Foreign
Ministry spokesman Hong Lei criticised the Philippines for
"instigating" its people to protest.
"It
is a false move," he said at a news briefing yesterday. "It will only
make the issue bigger and more complicated."
About
300 people turned up at noon in front of the Chinese embassy in Manila,
carrying banners and waving Philippine flags, and held a noisy protest, said
the Chinese embassy.
The
figure is way below initial estimates, as media anticipated 1,000 people
showing up for "large-scale" protests in the Philippine capital.
The
protesters sang patriotic hymns and chanted anti-China slogans, and left
quietly after a one-hour protest under close watch of dozens of police, AFP
reported.
China
and the Philippines have been embroiled in a dispute over Huangyan Island in
the South China Sea for one month, stemming from Philippine harassment of
Chinese fishermen who sought harbour at the island from bad weather.
Ren
Yuanzhe, a researcher at China Foreign Affairs University, said the Philippine
protesters cannot change the fact that Huangyan Island is part of China.
Manila
is using the incident to incite national sentiment and has damaged bilateral
relations, he said.
Hong
said China is concerned about the safety of its citizens in the Philippines and
asked Manila to ensure their security.
Many
Chinese travel agencies have suspended tours to the Southeast Asian nation,
while the Chinese government has advised its companies and nationals in the
country to stay alert.
A
spokesman for Philippine President Benigno Aquino yesterday denied government
involvement with the protest, although some of the organisers have links with
the president's political allies, including his chief political adviser,
Reuters reported.
"It
was the decision taken by private citizens who feel out of patriotism that they
have to speak on the issue," Edwin Lacierda told a news briefing.
In
response to the Philippine protests, some Chinese gathered at the Philippine
embassy in Beijing and its consulate in Hong Kong to protest Manila's claim
over the sovereignty of Huangyan Island.
Hong
yesterday again urged Manila to work with China to solve the dispute through
diplomatic means.
The
Philippines reportedly resumed diplomatic contact with the Chinese embassy in
Manila this week after it suspended contact late last month.
But Ye
Hailin, a researcher from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said he is
not sure whether Manila is sincere enough to seek a diplomatic solution.
The
resumption of diplomatic contact by the Philippines seems to be a goodwill
posture for the international community, especially the United States, Manila's
ally, which has said it will not take sides in the dispute, Ye said.
However,
that is at least a step in the right direction, Ye said.
"It
will take some time for us to discern whether Manila has the sincerity to ease
the tensions through further moves," he said.
Cui
Haipei
China
Daily
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