China on Thursday warned its citizens against risks to their safety in the Philippines amid anti-Chinese sentiments over a territorial stand-off in the South China Sea, according to dpa. In a travel advisory issued ahead of planned protests against China on Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila urged citizens to "be safety conscious at all times." "Avoid going out at all if possible, and if not, avoid going out alone," said the advisory, which was issued in the Chinese version of the embassy website. "If you come across any demonstrations, leave the area. Do not stay to watch." Various civil society organizations were planning to hold demonstrations in Manila and different cities around the world on Friday to support the Philippines in the stand-off with China. Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the government was confident that the demonstrations would not pose a danger to Chinese citizens. "We are a safe and welcoming country," he said. He added that Manila and Beijing were resuming negotiations to end the stand-off at Scarborough Shoal, which is located off the Philippines' north-western coast and claimed by China. The stand-off began on April 10 when two Chinese ships blocked a Philippine navy warship whose personnel were preparing to arrest crew members of eight Chinese fishing boats for alleged poaching. The two countries have since stationed government vessels at the shoal, which is 230 kilometres west of the Philippines' province of Zambales and 870 kilometres away from the nearest coast of China in Hainan province. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, which straddles key shipping lanes in the region and is believed to be rich in resources. The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the sea. The Philippines has urged the international community to take a stand on the dispute, warning that China's claim could be a potential threat to freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce.
