Philippines Wants Chinese Diplomats Out Over Sea Dispute

• Salma Hossein
• . May 10, 2024
• . Update: May 11, 2024 1:31 am
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The Philippines and China are having a big argument over the South China Sea. On May 10th, a top Philippine official named Eduardo Año said Chinese diplomats should be kicked out of the country. This is because of a leaked phone call between a Chinese diplomat and a Philippine navy officer.

The Leaked Phone Call

According to a newspaper report, the leaked call showed the Philippine officer agreed to follow China’s plans in the South China Sea. The report said the officer agreed that the Philippines would use fewer boats to bring supplies to its troops in the area. It also said the officer agreed to tell China before sending any boats there. 

However, the news agency Reuters could not confirm if the leaked phone call actually happened or if the report was accurate.

Rising Tensions

This argument between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea has been going on for a long time. In the past year, the two countries have had many heated confrontations in the disputed waters. China has accused the Philippines of trespassing, while the Philippines has accused China of being aggressive.

There have been instances of Philippine and Chinese ships ramming each other and shooting water cannons.

Why It Matters  

The South China Sea is very important for trade and has valuable natural resources like oil and gas under the water. China claims it owns almost the entire sea, which other countries like the Philippines disagree with.

The Philippines wants to protect its rights in the South China Sea with help from the United States and other allies.

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What’s Next?

If the Philippines actually kicks out Chinese diplomats, it would damage relations between the two countries severely. China’s embassy in the Philippines has not responded yet. 

Kicking out diplomats could lead to more rising tensions and make it harder for the countries to resolve their disagreement over the South China Sea through discussions.