Philippine defense chief hits China for South China Sea acts

The Philippine defense chief criticized China on Tuesday for what he called "bullying" actions in the South China Sea and said Beijing's peaceful assurances contrast with its behavior in the contested waters.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana criticized China's increasingly assertive actions when asked to comment on the Chinese ambassador's assurances in Manila that Beijing won't seek hegemony in the disputed region and "will not take the first shot."

"They say we do not bully people around, they follow international law, but I said you are not, what you are telling is not what you are doing on the ground," Lorenzana said in one of his most stinging public rebukes yet of Chinese actions in territories claimed by Beijing, Manila and four other governments.

Unless China does what it says, its words will be doubted and Filipinos will continue to look at Beijing with mistrust, said Lorenzana, a retired army general. He cited China's low trust ratings in local opinion polls compared to ...