Beijing warned the United States, Japan and the Philippines against “playing with fire” on Monday, after thousands of troops from the three countries began annual joint military exercises.
“We wish to remind the countries concerned that blindly binding themselves together in the name of security will only be akin to playing with fire — ultimately backfiring upon themselves,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference when asked about the drills.
China also expressed concern on Monday over the US seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel that tried to evade a naval blockade, and urged all parties to resume peace talks.
“We express concern over the US side’s forcible interception of the relevant vessel,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference when asked about the seizure, calling on countries involved to return to negotiations.
