Beijing has taken aim at a potential ammunition production hub in the Philippines, warning that the move risks turning Southeast Asia into a flashpoint for military confrontation.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian delivered the warning Thursday at a press briefing, directing his remarks at Washington and its partners. “If the relevant country is willing to be a powder keg and ammunition depot, it will only backfire on itself,” he said.
The remarks follow a joint announcement by the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR), a 16-member US-led defense coalition that agreed last week to evaluate funding for an ammunition assembly and production line on Philippine soil. The group’s membership spans the Indo-Pacific and beyond, counting Britain, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines among its members.
Lin framed the proposed facility as a threat to regional stability. “The US and its allies should earnestly respect the common aspirations of regional countries… and refrain from introducing bloc confrontation, conflict, and the chaos of war into the Asia-Pacific,” he told reporters.
The warning comes against a backdrop of sustained friction between Beijing and Manila over competing claims in the South China Sea. China asserts sovereignty over virtually the entire waterway — a position an international tribunal has ruled has no legal standing — and has repeatedly clashed with Philippine vessels in disputed areas.
Lin stated that China would “firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and security interests,” signaling no intention of softening its posture in the region.
