讀後心得

The Philippine government recently stated that China has arrested three Philippine citizens suspected of espionage activities and released their "confession" videos, prompting the Philippines to question the authenticity of these videos and the motives behind them. The Philippine National Security Council mentioned that these three individuals had received scholarships from China and emphasized that they are law-abiding citizens with no criminal records. The Philippine side believes that these arrests may be retaliation for its own detention of Chinese spies, as the Philippines has arrested at least 12 Chinese citizens suspected of espionage in the past three months. China's territorial claims in the South China Sea have been rejected by international courts, but Beijing does not recognize that ruling.

The Philippine government stated on Saturday (April 5) that China has arrested three Filipinos suspected of engaging in espionage and released their "confessions," which appear to be pre-arranged. The Philippines called on Beijing to respect their rights.

According to Chinese state media, national security agencies uncovered a case of espionage involving Filipinos and legally detained three Filipino citizens engaged in espionage activities within China. In response, the Philippine National Security Council expressed skepticism over Beijing's accusations, emphasizing that these individuals were scholarship recipients between Hainan Province in China and Palawan Province in the western Philippines.

A spokesman for the Philippine National Security Council pointed out: “They are ordinary citizens with no military training, and they only traveled to China to study at the invitation of the Chinese government.” He stressed that these individuals are law-abiding citizens with no criminal records and had passed relevant screenings and checks before arriving in China.

Additionally, Malaya mentioned that Chinese media released a edited video showing the so-called "confessions" of the arrested individuals, noting that the issues raised in the video exceed the answers provided. In the video, one Filipino appears to express regret while seemingly portraying China positively.

He stated: “These arrests can be viewed as retaliation against the recent series of lawful arrests of Chinese agents by Philippine law enforcement.” Philippine authorities have arrested at least 12 Chinese citizens in the past three months, accusing them of illegally obtaining sensitive information regarding military camps and critical infrastructure, actions that could jeopardize Manila's national security.

At the same time, China claims extensive territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea, covering exclusive economic zones that include Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. In 2016, an international arbitration court ruled that China's claims are not consistent with international law, but the Chinese government does not recognize the ruling.

• The Philippine government calls on China to respect the rights of its citizens.
• The three detainees are scholarship recipients with no military background.
• The Philippine National Security Council questions China’s accusations, labeling them as acts of retaliation.
• The number of Chinese citizens arrested by the Philippines has increased recently, related to national security.
• Regarding territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea, China has disputes with several countries.