State-owned news agency Xinhua accused the United States of fuelling tensions after Washington announced five locations that its forces can have access to under a 10-year security deal with the Philippines.
“Muddying waters in the South China Sea and making the Asia-Pacific a second Middle East will do no good to the United States,” Xinhua said in a commentary posted on its website on Saturday.
“Implementing a defence pact signed two years ago with the Philippines, one of the most aggressive South China Sea claimants, and designating an air base facing the Nansha Islands as one of the five locations which American forces will have access to have fed speculation about Washington’s real purpose behind the moves.”