1 week Ago By Reuters
MANILA — The Philippines’ military chief accused China of a “malign influence effort” on Wednesday, after a local newspaper reported a Filipino vice admiral had made a deal with Beijing to de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea. The Manila Times published what it said was a transcript of a phone conversation during which it said a Philippine admiral had agreed to China’s proposal of a “new model”, where the Philippines would use fewer vessels in resupply missions to troops at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, and notify Beijing about missions in advance. Reuters has not heard the reported phone conversation and could not verify the contents of the published transcript.
The Manila Times said the conversation had taken place in January and the transcript was provided by a “ranking Chinese official”, which it did not name. The shoal has been a flashpoint for a series of heated confrontations between China’s coast guard and Philippine vessels in the past year, straining ties between the two neighbors. The Philippines has refused to heed China’s calls to steer clear of the area.
“China’s claim of an audio recording ...
does not merit significant concern as it appears to be a malign influence effort from the Chinese Communist Party,” military chief Romeo Brawner said in a statement. “Transcripts can easily be fabricated, and audio recordings can be manufactured by using deep fakes. These reports only aims to serve as a distraction from the China c.
