BEIJING: China on Thursday said it had “destroyed” an intelligence network set up by the Philippine espionage agency and arrested three spies from the country.
The announcement comes as the two countries continue to confront each other over disputed territory in the South China Sea and tensions mount over the Philippines’ security ties with ally the United States.
At least five Chinese nationals were arrested on suspicion of espionage in January and another two in February by Philippine authorities.
And the latest arrests in China come two days after Beijing’s embassy in Manila issued a travel warning to its citizens about frequent “harassment” from Philippine law enforcement agencies.
On Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV reported that authorities had identified one of the suspected spies as a Philippine national who had lived and worked in China long-term and had been found conducting espionage near military facilities.
The CCTV report included a video of his arrest and what appeared to be a recorded confession.
He was recruited by Philippine intelligence services to “take advantage of his long-term residence in China to conduct espionage activities in China and collect sensitive information, especially on military deployment,” state media said.
He came close to military facilities multiple times and “conducted close observation and secret photography,” CCTV added.
The three individuals had been recruited by the same Philippine spy since 2021 and received regular payment for their work, CCTV said.
They were also tasked with “assisting the Philippine spy intelligence agency in selecting and developing personnel, and expanding its intelligence network in China.”
They had provided “a large amount of military-related and confidential video materials” to Philippine agents, “causing serious harm to China’s national security and interests,” CCTV quoted a Chinese national security officer as saying.
Manila’s National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya told AFP the country’s foreign ministry was “currently confirming these reports and the involvement of any Philippine national, if any.”
“We have no further comment as of this time until we are able to verify these new reports,” he added.
Asked about the charges, Beijing’s foreign ministry said it would “handle the cases in accordance with the law and will also safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the relevant personnel.”
But spokesman Guo Jiakun also accused Manila of having “fabricated several so-called Chinese espionage cases.”
“China urges the Philippines to stop chasing shadows and pinning labels on people,” Guo said.
China arrests three Filipinos suspected of spying
https://arab.news/wve83
China arrests three Filipinos suspected of spying
- Announcement comes as the two countries continue to confront each other over disputed territory in the South China Sea
- At least five Chinese nationals were arrested on suspicion of espionage in January and another two in February by Philippine authorities
Pull him off TV: Steve Bannon shuts down Sen. Lindsay Graham
- Trump’s former chief strategist called for the senator to be registered as a foreign agent
DUBAI: Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon called on Tuesday for US Senator Lindsey Graham to be registered as a foreign agent of the Israeli government, escalating a growing conservative backlash against the senator’s vocal support for Israel.
Speaking on his podcast “War Room,” Bannon said Graham should be “pulled off of television,” adding: "This is dangerous… because you have guys like Lindsey Graham and dozens more that are doing the wrong thing.”
In a Fox News interview on Monday, Graham said: “To all the antisemites, to all the isolationists… I’m not with you, I’m with Israel, I will be with Israel to our dying day.”
Graham also urged Gulf Arab states to join military action against Iran. “What I want you to do in the Middle East, to our friends in Saudi Arabia and other places, [is] step forward and say, ‘this is my fight too, I join America, I’m publicly involved in bringing this regime down,’” he said.
In a post on X, Graham questioned the value of a US defense agreement with Saudi Arabia following the evacuation of the American embassy in Riyadh, writing: “Why should America do a defense agreement with a country like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is unwilling to join a fight of mutual interest?”
Faisal Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News, responded to Graham’s comments in a Sky News interview, saying: “He flip flops so much, it’s actually entertaining.”
“On one hand, he says he will never set foot in Saudi Arabia. The next day, he’s here signing multimillion-dollar deals.”
“I don’t think anyone here takes him seriously,” Abbas added.
He warned Graham to be careful what he wished for: “Do you really want Saudi Arabia involved in this war putting our oil facilities at risk or do you want us stabilizing the energy markets?”
Graham pressed further, warning that inaction would carry a price. “Hopefully Gulf Cooperation Council countries will get more involved as this fight is in their backyard. If you are not willing to use your military now, when are you willing to use it?”
“Hopefully this changes soon. If not, consequences will follow.”
Graham's remarks drew sharp criticism from Bannon and others including podcast host Megyn Kelly.
She questioned on X whether Graham was overstepping his authority as a senator, writing: “When did Lindsay Graham become our president?”
Kelly also said Graham had threatened Lebanon, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, the wider Arab region, and Spain within a 24-hour period.
The problem with Graham “isn’t (just) that he’s a homicidal maniac, it’s that Trump likes and is listening to him,” she said in another post.
