MANILA – The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Friday denied the existence of “sleeper cells” in the Philippines, labeling the accusations as “baseless” and “malicious”.
Reacting to the report of the recent arrest of two Chinese nationals for possession of high-powered firearms in Pasig City on Oct. 16, the embassy, in a statement, said “[s]ome individuals with ulterior motives took advantage of an isolated case and blew things out of proportion by making groundless accusations against China and the Chinese people."
“We strongly oppose and condemn such baseless allegations and malicious spreading of disinformation,” it added.
The embassy said China has "always adhered to the principle of non-interference" in the internal affairs of other countries.
Although, the statement did not identify anyone, the embassy said the “irresponsible words and deeds of the relevant Filipino individuals” run counter to the consensus of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and President Xi Jinping that maritime differences should be put in a proper place and managed through discussions.
It added that these create “disruption to the diplomatic efforts”.
In a newspaper column on Oct. 24, former Interior and Local Government chief Rafael Alunan III said the recent arrest of two Chinese nationals indicates “China's malevolent intentions by pre-positioning clandestine forces for future action”. (PNA)
