We work together to handle frequent maritime issues, and the statement highlights our shared commitment to upholding rules-based order and international law.
China claims as its place much of the South China Sea, a pipeline for approximately US$ 3 trillion in annual ship-borne trade, despite competing claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
In the South China Sea, Manila and Beijing have consistently fought off accusations that they are acting aggressively toward their submarines and that they are harming the aquatic environment.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said China’s statements had no lawful base, a choice Beijing has rejected.
China’s official in Manila did not respond to a request for comment on the four-nation practice right away.