China analyst challenges Manila's claim that sea boundary pact with Japan excludes Beijing

A Chinese expert has sharply disputed Manila's position that a maritime boundary agreement between the Philippines and Japan bears no relevance to Beijing, warning that the arrangement serves purposes extending well beyond a straightforward bilateral accord.

The Philippine foreign minister had insisted the delimitation deal was strictly a matter between Manila and Tokyo, but the Chinese analyst argued the claim did not withstand scrutiny, suggesting the agreement was designed with broader strategic aims in mind.

Beijing has grown increasingly wary of what it regards as an emerging network of security and territorial arrangements in the region that, while framed as bilateral, effectively target Chinese interests in the South China Sea and surrounding waters.