(UPDATE) CHINA'S foreign ministry has warned the Philippines to stop using the South China Sea (SCS) issue as an excuse to trigger disputes.

In a statement on Thursday, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also said the Philippines should not mislead the international community and not rely on external forces to undermine peace and stability in the region.

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. AFP Photo

Wang was responding to the remarks of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on March 12.

Marcos said the Philippines has "not rejected any proposal that China made to us, and what is unacceptable is Beijing basing its expansive claim on its '10-dash line,' which is not recognized by any country, any international body."

China's territorial premise has made it "difficult to see a way forward," Marcos said.

"I vowed to defend the Philippine Constitution when I was sworn in, and the first article of the country's Constitution clearly defines its territorial area, including maritime and land-based territory."

Wang stressed that China maintains territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, including over Nanhai Zhudao.

"China has an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, based on Nanhai Zhudao; and China has historic rights in the South China Sea. The above positions are consistent with relevant international law and practice," he said.

As early as 1948, Beijing had released the dotted-line concept, which has been upheld by successive Chinese governments, Wang said.

"For a long time, it has never been questioned by any country.

"China never claimed that the whole of the South China Sea belongs to China.

"The Philippine side accuses China of claiming all waters inside the dotted line as territory. It is not in line with the facts and is a deliberate distortion of China's position," he said.

China is ready to resolve maritime rows through negotiation and consultation with countries directly concerned, Wang said.

He said China was the first country to discover, name, explore and exploit Nanhai Zhudao, and the first to exercise sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the area continuously, peacefully and effectively.

In its July 12, 2016 ruling on the Philippine lawsuit against China, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague rejected China's U-shaped lines in the South China Sea as the legal basis for its claim.

Nanhai Zhudao or the South China Sea Islands, consist of Dongsha Qundao (Dongsha Islands), Xisha Qundao (the Xisha Islands), Zhongsha Qundao (the Zhongsha Islands) and Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands).

Also on Thursday, President Marcos made it clear that the Philippines' upcoming trilateral talks with the United States and Japan are meant to maintain the peace in the South China Sea, and "not to win any kind of conflict" in the region.

In a joint press conference with Czech Republic President Petr Pavel after their bilateral meeting in Prague, Marcos said the three countries' discussions were focused on ensuring safe navigation and passage in the South China Sea, a key sea route where 60 percent of international trade passes.

"It is really an ongoing process and that all of these discussions are really, as far as the Philippines is concerned, it is concerned with the maintenance of peace and South China Sea," Marcos said when asked about his expectation when he meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken next week.

The President earlier said the meeting between Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo aims to strengthen cooperation among the three nations.

The high-level discussions come in the wake of recent incidents involving Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea.

Pavel said the Czech Republic fully supports the Philippines' claim over the West Philippine Sea, saying any disruption in the disputed waters could impact Europe and the rest of the world.

"To us, South China Sea may seem to be far, far away but if you take into account the percentage or share of the world or global trade that passes through this area, any disruption on these routes would have an adverse impact on Europe, not only in the form of shortage of goods but also soaring prices, which is why we have to pay attention to this topic," he said.

Pavel and Marcos met on Thursday morning at the Prague Castle on the second day of Marcos' state visit to the Czech Republic.

Pavel said the Czech Republic has a lot to offer the Philippines in terms of military equipment, particularly cybersecurity and the use and development of modern technology, and this could be a topic for future discussions.

"I believe both countries have a lot to offer and there is a lot of space or room for cooperation as to the South China Sea," he said.

Marcos expressed hope that the Czech Republic would assist the Philippines when it comes to modernizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines amid prevailing tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines is undergoing a modernization program. Under that modernization program will be a great deal of procurement that needs to be done to modernize our forces and to modernize our capabilities," he said.

Marcos said the Philippines is consistent in its position in the South China Sea, saying that while China's continued aggression is regrettable, the Philippines will continue to engage other stakeholders diplomatically.

Marcos also thanked Pavel for the Czech Republic's support as a like-minded partner in upholding peace, stability and the rules-based international order.

The President also mentioned the Czech Republic's decision to increase the quota for Filipino workers entering their country starting in May 2024.

The two leaders also witnessed the signing of the Joint Communiqué on Labor Consultations Mechanism, enforcing a mechanism on the proper procedure for employing Filipino citizens in the European nation.

The Czech Republic is home to more than 7,000 Filipinos working in the processing industry, automotive, repairs and appliances, manufacturing, information technology, communications, real estate, health/wellness, and household service work.

In a related development, the Department of National Defense (DND) on Thursday said that external defense security in Philippine Rise at the country's eastern frontier will be enhanced with the construction of a Naval Detachment in Casiguran, Quezon, amid sightings of Chinese vessels.

On Thursday, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and ranking military officers inspected the detachment, which is in line with the country's Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).

It was constructed in cooperation with the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (Apeco).

The Philippine Rise, formerly known as Benham Rise, is an extinct volcanic ridge in the Philippine Sea approximately 250 kilometers east of Dinapigue, Isabela.

Philippine marine scientists say the Philippine Rise is home to at least 200 fish species, among them surgeonfish, hawkfish, and gamefish, and large predators such as the tiger shark.

Last week, two Chinese research vessels were spotted within the Philippine Rise, prompting the Philippine Coast Guard to send ships to the area to investigate.

Teodoro also discussed with Director Maria Cristina Suaverdez of the Apeco Board of Directors, along with the officers of NIF-NL, efforts to assure the country's control over the resources in the Philippine Rise.

Last month, Teodoro and AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. inspected a Naval Detachment on Navulis Island in Itbayat, Batanes, a key point in the country's archipelagic domain.

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