China threatened PhilippinesChina used carrot and stick to pressure the Philippine government during the Arroyo administration, according to a confidential cable sent March 5, 2009 by the US embassy in Beijing.
Cable 09BEIJING579 said a high-ranking Philippine embassy official in China, whose name ABS-CBNNews.com is withholding because of a "strictly protect" tag in the memo, told a US political officer that Beijing's official protests against the Philippines' baseline bill had raised concerns that China was hardening its policy on the South China Sea.
"We had never been nudged before like that," the Philippine official said.
The official revealed that a February 18, 2009 summons meeting, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya reiterated his government's position on the South China Sea, rejecting any Philippines' claim to the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.
The Chinese official asked that the Philippine government take action to prevent enactment of the baselines bill, and reserved "the right of China to take action" over the issue.
The Philippine official expected Arroyo to sign the bill into despite China's protests "given that the Philippines believed it had already made concessions to China on this issue."
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=49440.0