STORY: The Phillipines' national security adviser called for Chinese diplomats to be expelled on Friday (May 10) over an alleged leaked phone conversation with a Filipino admiral in a significant escalation of a bitter row over the South China Sea.
Eduardo Ano said in a statement that China's embassy in Manila had orchestrated "repeated acts of engaging and dissemination of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation" with the objective of sowing discord, division and disunity.
He added the actions should not be allowed to pass "without serious penalty."
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian called the comments provocative.
"China solemnly requests the Philippine side to effectively safeguard the normal performance of duties by Chinese diplomatic personnel, stop infringing and provoking, and refrain from denying the facts or acting rashly or lifting a stone to smash their own feet.''
A news report surfaced this week of the alleged leak of a call between a Chinese diplomat and a Filipino admiral discussing a dispute over the South China Sea.
It carried a transcript that showed the admiral agreeing to concessions with China including notifying Beijing about missions to the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in advance.
Reuters has not heard the reported phone conversation and could not verify the contents of the published transcript.
The two countries have been embroiled in heated standoffs in disputed areas of the South China Sea as the Philippines, emboldened by the United States and other allies support, steps up activities in waters occupied by China's vast coast guard.
China has accused the Philippines of trespassing and treachery, while Manila has scolded Beijing for what it says is a policy of aggression and dangerous maneuvering inside its exclusive economic zone.
The office of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and the foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
