China says 3 Filipinos detained on spying suspicions

BEIJING (AP) — China has detained three Philippine nationals on suspicion of spying, the government and state media reported, as the countries’ relations deteriorate.

The three were found to have handed over “sensitive material” about China to a Philippine contact, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday, citing an anonymous official from China’s Ministry of State Security.

Xinhua reported that the three had confessed to the charges against them while the case remains under investigation. “China vows strict action against foreign espionage,” Xinhua said.

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The three could not immediately be reached for comment.

The arrests came after Filipino authorities recently apprehended several Chinese nationals suspected of carrying out espionage activities in the Philippines.

Relations between China and the Philippines have taken a sharp downturn as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. strengthens relations with the U.S., China’s main competitor. China’s Foreign Ministry lashed out at the Philippines on Wednesday after Manila expressed concern over Chinese military exercises around Taiwan, the island China claims, which sits just north of the Philippines.

“We urge certain people in the Philippines to refrain from making provocations and playing with fire on the Taiwan question, and those who play with fire will perish by it,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

The Philippines has also been bulking up its military, mainly in response to territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. The U.S. has prospectively approved selling 20 F-16 aircraft to the Philippines, along with hundreds of medium-range, air-to-air missiles, bombs, anti-aircraft guns and ammunition, in a deal worth $5.58 billion.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila issued a travel advisory on Tuesday saying Chinese citizens face higher security risks “considering the recent unstable public security situation in the Philippines and growingly frequent harassment of Chinese citizens and businesses.”