Translated by Claude, edited by Sinocism.com

Source: Xinhua | Byline: Li Meng 李萌, Zhao Chenjie 赵晨捷 | July 22, 2026

Xinhua News Agency, Manila, July 22 (Reporters Li Meng and Zhao Chenjie) — Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, met at the latter's request with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Lazaro on the 22nd in Manila on the sidelines of the East Asia cooperation foreign ministers' meetings, setting out China's stern position to the Philippine side and expressing strong protest against the crude action of Philippine personnel ramming a Chinese law-enforcement vessel at Ren'ai Jiao (Second Thomas Shoal).

新华社马尼拉7月22日电（记者李萌 赵晨捷）中共中央政治局委员、外交部长王毅22日在马尼拉出席东亚合作系列外长会期间应约会见菲律宾外长拉扎罗，向菲方阐明中方严正立场，对菲方人员在仁爱礁冲撞中方执法船只的粗暴行径表示强烈抗议。

Wang Yi said that over the past few years, China-Philippines relations have continuously faced difficulties and challenges; this clearly does not accord with the interests of either side, and it does even more harm to the Philippines' own development. Facing a world of intertwined change and turmoil, we should have been jointly safeguarding the hard-won situation of peace and development in this region, but the Philippines' actions have run counter to those of other countries in the region, making it a source of disruption to regional peace and stability. Facts have proven that allowing external forces to interfere and intervene, and deliberately hyping up and enlarging maritime differences, will only reduce one to a tool used by others. Those who attempt to provoke trouble by relying on countries from outside the region will in the end only swallow the bitter fruit of their own making. Regrettably, whenever China and the Philippines are about to conduct dialogue, there are people within the Philippines — in particular certain forces in the military and police departments — who deliberately manufacture incidents to sabotage the advancement of dialogue. These people harbor ill intentions; what they think about is not the welfare of the Philippine people but carrying out the wishes of external forces, while also seeking their own private gain. At present, China-Philippines relations stand at a crossroads, and which way they go requires the Philippine side to make the correct and rational choice.

王毅表示，过去几年，中菲关系持续面临困难挑战，这显然不符合双方利益，更有损菲律宾自身发展。面对变乱交织的世界，我们本应共同维护本地区得来不易的和平发展局面，但菲律宾的做法却与其他地区国家背道而驰，成为地区和平稳定的干扰源。事实证明，任由外部势力干涉介入，蓄意炒作扩大海上分歧，只会沦为被人利用的工具。如果试图借助域外国家挑衅滋事，最后只能吞下自己酿成的苦果。遗憾的是，每当中菲双方要开展对话时，菲国内就有人特别是军警部门一些势力，蓄意制造事端，破坏对话的推进。这些人居心不良，他们想的不是菲人民的福祉，而是执行外部势力的旨意，也是在谋取个人的私利。当前，中菲关系站在十字路口，何去何从需要菲方作出正确理智选择。

Wang Yi stressed that in developing China-Philippines relations, the key is to grasp the correct direction. China has never been a security threat to the Philippines and has never in history invaded or colonized the Philippines. The existence of territorial and maritime delimitation disputes between China and the Philippines is an objective fact. China has always been committed to managing differences and stabilizing the situation through bilateral dialogue and consultation. But the Philippine side abandoned the bilateral negotiation channel and, at the instigation of forces from outside the region, threw together the makeshift outfit of a temporary "arbitral tribunal" and concocted and hyped an illegal and invalid so-called "award," which China from the very beginning did not accept and did not participate in, and will certainly never recognize. The Philippine side should immediately cease its provocative actions on maritime issues, abide by the commitments it has made to China to date, and make concrete efforts to stabilize bilateral relations.

王毅强调，发展中菲关系，关键要把握正确方向。中国从来不是菲律宾的安全威胁，历史上从未侵略或殖民过菲律宾。中菲存在领土和海洋划界争议是客观事实。中方始终致力于通过双边对话协商管控分歧、稳定局势。但菲方却背离双边谈判渠道，在域外势力怂恿下，搭了个临时“仲裁庭”的草台班子，炮制炒作非法无效的所谓“裁决”，中方从一开始就不接受、不参与，更不会承认。菲方应立即停止在涉海问题上的挑衅行为，恪守迄今对中方作出的承诺，为稳定双边关系作出切实努力。

Lazaro said that Philippines-China exchanges have a long history, and the two are neighbors that cannot be moved apart. The Philippines has always pursued a one-China policy and honors the commitments made at the establishment of diplomatic relations; there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Philippine side hopes through dialogue to find an appropriate way to resolve maritime issues and to strive to achieve an improvement in bilateral relations.

拉扎罗表示，菲中交往历史悠久，是搬不走的邻居。菲方始终奉行一个中国政策，履行建交承诺，世界上只有一个中国，台湾是中国领土不可分割的一部分。菲方希望通过对话，寻找涉海问题的妥善解决办法，争取实现两国关系的改善。