Philippines says its actions in South China Sea driven by national interest

MANILA (Reuters) – China should recognise that the Philippines is an independent and sovereign state whose actions and decisions are driven entirely by national interest and not at the direction of other countries, Manila’s foreign ministry said on Monday.

The Philippines’ foreign ministry also said the “real issue is China’s refusal to abide by international law” and how its “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive behaviour at sea” have affected Filipino communities.

“We call on countries to be circumspect and to avoid actions and words that only contribute to tensions in the region,” it said in a statement.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by John Mair)