Anti-China Protests in the Philippines

Filipinos protest China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea.

Filipino environmental activists hold slogans during a rally outside the Chinese Consulate in suburban Makati, south of Manila, Philippines.  (Photo: AP)

More than 100 protesters in the Philippines have demanded that China stop its increasingly assertive actions in the disputed South China Sea – warning that they could target “Chinese economic interests” with their protests.

Waving red flags and yelling “China out now”, the protesters from the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan group took to expressing their anger during a rally on Thursday. This rally was organised in front of the Chinese consulate in Manila to protest China’s island-building and other actions in disputed waters.

Protest leader Renato Reyes Jr. says that while the Philippines can easily be overwhelmed by China’s powerful military, “there are other means to express protests,” including rallies and a possible boycott of Chinese products.

China, the Philippines and four other countries have been disputing ownership of islands, reefs and atolls in the busy waters for decades.