Philippines to China: No country can interfere in our military decisions

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has flatly rejected China's accusations that the Philippines is being manipulated by foreign powers as a "chess piece" and urged Beijing to instead respect each country's sovereignty. 

"The Philippines is no one’s chess piece. We are an independent country," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters at a press conference on Thursday, March 27. 

"Whatever we do regarding our military operations is up to us alone," Castro said in mixed English and Filipino. "No [country] can interfere. We are independent, and no [country] should meddle in our government's decisions."

The Palace press officer's remarks come after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned Manila on Tuesday, March 25 to "stop serving as other countries' mouthpiece."

Guo was responding to a reporter's question related to the upcoming visit of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Philippines this week.

Beijing has consistently urged the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations to insulate themselves from external influence and to act independently in regional affairs, particularly regarding territorial disputes in the South China Sea. 

Manila has repeatedly insisted its decisions are made solely in defense of its sovereignty and that the real issue is China's disregard for international law and the international rules-based order.

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Guo on Tuesday specifically said: "Facts have repeatedly proven that nothing good could come out of opening the door to a predator. Those who willingly serve as chess pieces will be deserted in the end."

Castro said China should first adhere to international law if it is truly "concerned about peace and stability in the region."

"They should also respect the sovereignty of each country," she added.

Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi characterized maritime confrontations as a "shadow play" orchestrated by external powers, suggesting Philippine actions in the tense waterways follow "a script written by other countries." 

Wang similarly employed chess metaphors, implying that the Philippines would eventually be "discarded" as an expendable chess piece.

Hegseth's two-day visit starting Friday, March 28 will be the first by a top American official to the Philippines under the current administration of US President Donald Trump. The US defense chief is scheduled to meet with his counterpart, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In their first official call in February, Hegseth and Teodoro discussed the importance of "reestablishing deterrence in the South China Sea, including by working with allies and partners."

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone, despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that found Beijing's "nine-dash line" claim had no legal basis.