Beijing pushes back on Manila's claim that Japan sea boundary talks bypass China

China has rejected the Philippine foreign minister's assertion that maritime boundary negotiations between Manila and Tokyo have nothing to do with Beijing, with a Chinese expert warning that the talks carry wider strategic implications.

The expert argued that framing the delimitation process as a purely bilateral matter was misleading, and cautioned that the discussions appear designed to serve ulterior purposes beyond settling a straightforward sea boundary between the two countries.

The rebuke signals growing Chinese concern that maritime arrangements being pursued by its neighbours in the region may be intended to constrain Beijing's position in contested waters, even when China is not formally a party to the talks.