As the largest-ever military exercises between the Philippines and the United States got under way, China on Wednesday said these activities should not interfere in its “interests” in the South China Sea (SCS), over which Beijing makes sweeping claims of sovereignty. “Exchange and cooperation between relevant countries should not target any third party and should be conducive to regional peace and stability,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a press briefing in Beijing.

Lazaro, J., & Mangosing, F. (2023, April 13). China: Keep ‘Balikatan’ drills off our ‘interests’ in SCS. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A4.