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Chinese flags wave with Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on November 19, 2018.  Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File



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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:668px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17375979429021720082814172171929591288020181119-chinese-flag-xi-jinping-state-visit-MD-8757.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Chinese flags wave with Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on November 19, 2018.  Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Chinese flags wave with Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on November 19, 2018. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span>MANILA  (UPDATED) — China on Thursday said it hoped the Philippines would protect what it called the &quot;lawful rights&quot; of Chinese nationals in the country <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/20/suspected-chinese-spy-2-filipino-accomplices-arrested-0228">after the recent arrest of a suspected Chinese spy</a>.</div><p>Mao Ning, <strong></strong>China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, in a statement said the &quot;Chinese government, as always, asks Chinese nationals overseas to abide by local laws and regulations.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We hope the Philippines will stick to the fact, stop shadow-chasing, stop peddling the so-called ‘Chinese spy,’ and earnestly protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals in the Philippines,&quot; the spokesperson added.</p><p>The Philippine military and law enforcers on Monday announced the arrest of a Chinese national and 2 Filipino &quot;cohorts&quot; suspected of conducting espionage activities in the country.</p><p>The Chinese national is a graduate of a university controlled and operated by the People&#x27;s Liberation Army,&quot; NBI Cybercrime Division chief Jeremy Lotoc said in a press conference. The PLA is the military of the Chinese Communist Party and the People&#x27;s Republic of China.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J7ge2GGE-v8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><div><br/></div><p>A military spokesperson said the alleged spy has been staying in the Philippines for the past 10 years, married to a Filipina, and had been directing trips in the Luzon mainland since December 2024 to &quot;map and survey critical infrastructures and strategic areas to include military installations, ports, malls, communications grids, energy grid and major seaports and airports&quot; covering major routes from Luzon to Bicol Region.</p><p>Lotoc said the Chinese &quot;spy&quot; was a specialist in &quot;control engineering.&quot; He was arrested while inside a vehicle driven by the 2 Filipino &quot;cohorts&quot; last January 17 in Makati City.</p><p>The Department of Foreign Affairs meanwhile noted the probe of Philippine authorities into alleged espionage operations.</p><p> In a statement, DFA reaffirmed its mandate to &quot;help protect national security&quot;, saying it takes any indication of espionage operations by foreign nationals seriously.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/20/1-chinese-national-2-filipino-cohorts-arrested-for-alleged-espionage-1430">Chinese national, 2 Filipino &#x27;cohorts&#x27; arrested for alleged espionage</a></div><div><strong>—reports from Zen Hernandez and Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E6nmCOEv1GU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></strong><br/></div>

<p>"We hope the Philippines will stick to the fact, stop shadow-chasing, stop peddling the so-called ‘Chinese spy,’ and earnestly protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals in the Philippines," said Mao Ning, China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson.</p>

"We hope the Philippines will stick to the fact, stop shadow-chasing, stop peddling the so-called ‘Chinese spy,’ and earnestly protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals in the Philippines," said Mao Ning, China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson.

China to PH: Stop 'shadow chasing', protect rights of Chinese nationals after arrest of alleged spy

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China to PH: Stop 'shadow chasing', protect rights of Chinese nationals after arrest of alleged spy

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Published January 23, 2025 10:38 AM PHT

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Updated January 23, 2025 04:10 PM PHT

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