China slams US for ‘hyping up’ South China Sea boat incident

August 9, 2023 - 9:47 AM
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A Chinese Coast Guard ship launches what the Coast Guard says is a warning water cannon spray in the direction of a Philippine vessel at an unknown location at sea in this screen grab taken from a video released on August 8, 2023. (China Coast Guard/Handout via Reuters)

 China’s embassy in the Philippines on Tuesday slammed the United States for “gathering” its allies to “hype up” the South China Sea issue and a maritime incident between Chinese and Philippine vessels.

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“South China Sea is not a ‘safari park’ for countries outside the region to make mischief and sow discord,” the embassy said in a statement, while urging the U.S. to respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.

—Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by William Maclean

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