Chinese Foreign and Defense Ministries reacted to a report of Japan supplying patrol planes to the Philippines that would be used to monitor activities in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea.
This was in response to a Reuters report referred to a four anonymous sources as saying that Tokyo wants to give three Beechcraft TC-90 King Air planes outfitted with surface and air reconnaissance radar to the Philippines, however Manila allegedly favored a more advanced aircraft, the Lockheed Martin P3-C Orion, which may have the capability to track China’s submarine activity.
The United States had requested and asked Japan to give training programs and maintenance support to any planes it gives the Philippines, a US military source told Reuters.
The Information Office of the Ministry of National Defense told China Daily in a written response.”China hopes that the military cooperation by relevant countries contributes to the peace and stabilization of the region and not the contrary,”
The Spokesperson’s Office of the Foreign Ministry stated that China hopes to see the parties involved do more to contribute to “improving the mutual trust among countries in the region”.
Image credit to Gerald Helmer
By: Carl E.
A warning statement at best for now although in an alarmed awareness.The Philippines must put its act together constructively robust and not half-heartedly to its goal of attaining a credible posture in its defense plan. In reality, there is hardly enough time to do this, and procrastination over this plan would render it futile and detrimental to our national security instead. This calls for immediacy in time and action…