The Philippines on Monday rejected China’s allegation that their sea dispute was mere “shadow play,” insisting that it is a sovereign state whose actions are driven entirely by national interest and not at the direction of other countries. “The Philippines disagrees with the recent remarks of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi characterizing the developments and incidents in the South China Sea as mere theatre staged under the direction of other countries,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement. “For every move in the sea by the Philippines, there is a screenplay written by external forces; the show is livestreamed by western media and the plot is invariably to smear China,” Mr. Wang told a news briefing in Beijing on March 7. “People are not interested in watching the same performance again and again.”

Halili, A. H. (2025, March 11). Philippines rejects China's 'shadow play' remarks on South China Sea. BusinessWorld, p. S1/12.