18-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Amid South China Sea dispute, China warns students to beware safety risks in Philippines
Beijing has issued a warning to
Chinese students planning to study in
the Philippines , its competitor in a highly contentious territorial dispute over the
South China Sea , citing recent safety concerns and a string of criminal cases targeting Chinese nationals.
In a statement released on Friday, China's education ministry urged students to 'carefully assess security risks' and 'strengthen safety awareness' before heading to the Southeast Asian country.
'Recently, public security in the Philippines has been unstable, with frequent crimes targeting Chinese citizens. The Ministry of Education reminds all students studying abroad to carefully assess security risks when choosing to study in the Philippines and to strengthen safety awareness,' the statement said.
02:09
China and Philippines clash over disputed Sandy Cay in the Spratly Islands
China and Philippines clash over disputed Sandy Cay in the Spratly Islands
Figures released by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration last year revealed that only
300 to 400 Chinese students remained in the Philippines.
The advisory was issued amid tensions between China and the Philippines over their South China Sea territorial disputes. Manila, which is increasingly aligning with its treaty ally Washington, is viewed as
Beijing's most hardline opponent to its maritime claims.
This week, Manila accused a Chinese ship of
damaging protected coral after running aground near Thitu Island, the largest base held by the Philippines and known as Zhongye Island in Chinese. It is weighing legal action against China and has demanded compensation of 11.1 million pesos (US$194,000), according to local media reports.
In April, the education ministry issued a similar warning
for students planning to study in Ohio , the United States, that cited the state's restrictions on education cooperation related to China.
The latest study advisory comes amid growing public safety fears for Chinese citizens in the Philippines, especially after several high-profile kidnappings and killings, as well as sluggish diplomatic relations between Beijing and Manila under the cloud of the South China Sea territorial dispute.
