China says PH docu on disputed territory ‘ignores facts, confuses right and wrong’

MANILA — China is accusing the Philippines of “attempting to mislead and deceive [and] gain sympathy by cheating and [creating] the illusion of the victim” through a state-produced documentary about the South China Sea / West Philippine Sea.

The three-part documentary entitled “Karapatan sa Dagat” focused on the Philippines’ claims on the disputed territory.

The first episode was released on June 12, 2015 — the 117th Independence Day of the Philippines.

READ: Malacanang invites Filipinos to watch documentary regarding West Philippine Sea

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying released a statement on the Ministry’s official website. Hua pointed out in the statement “the Chinese side is strongly dissatisfied with the groundless criticism by the Philippine documentary, which ignores the facts and confuses right and wrong.

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Part of the statement also reads: “China and the Philippines are long-term friends and good neighbors and have shown that they have been able to fully and properly handle the South China Sea issue through friendly consultations.”

The statement concludes by urging the Philippine government to “put first the bilateral relations and regional peace and stability, follow the trend of the times featuring peace, development and cooperation as well as the common aspiration and expectation of the two peoples, stop provoking confrontations between the two peoples, cease all irresponsible words and deeds, come back to the right track of resolving disputes through negotiation and consultation, and work with China to safeguard the traditional friendship between the two peoples and regional peace and stability.”

According to a Reuters report, Hua said in a press briefing that the United States should “stop making irresponsible comments which deliberately stoke regional tensions and confrontation.”

“Karapatan sa Dagat” is hosted by multi-awarded author, musician, and TV personality Lourd de Veyra, and produced by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in partnership with the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).