Official statements from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs

Philippines Opens New Coast Guard Station Near Taiwan Amid Rising China Tensions

May 24, 2024, 07:58 AM

The Philippines has opened a new coast guard station on an island near Taiwan to increase surveillance over an area that has seen a military buildup and frequent presence of Chinese vessels. This move comes amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea. On May 24, Philippine Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro criticized China's new coast guard regulations as a provocation and a matter of international concern. The Philippines has downplayed China's new regulations as mere scare tactics, while Chinese FM spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed a lack of awareness about the new station but hoped for peaceful relations. Concerns about Chinese 'cognitive warfare' were also raised in the Philippines.