TAIPEI, Taiwan – The Philippines said the detention of three Filipinos in China for alleged espionage could be retaliation for Manila’s crackdown against alleged Chinese spies.
Chinese authorities arrested the Filipinos, accusing them of working for the Philippine intelligence agency to gather classified information on its military, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported last week, citing state security officials. It said the three had confessed to the crime.
The Philippine National Security Council, or NSC, rejected China’s espionage accusations, describing the detainees as “ordinary citizens with no military training” or intelligence background.
“They are law-abiding citizens with no criminal records and were vetted and screened by the Chinese government prior to their arrival there,” NSC Assistant Director-General Jonathan Malaya said in a statement.
Malaya explained that the three were former recipients of a government scholarship program created under an agreement between the southern Chinese province of Hainan and the western Philippine province of Palawan. He described the incident as possibly retaliatory and politically motivated amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
“The arrests can be seen as a retaliation for the series of legitimate arrests of Chinese agents and accomplices by Philippine law enforcement,” Malaya said.
In recent months, the Philippines has detained several Chinese nationals suspected of espionage, which officials say may have prompted Beijing’s response.
In March, for instance, Philippine authorities arrested six Chinese nationals and one Filipino near Subic Bay for allegedly conducting covert surveillance under the guise of fishing. The group was found collecting sensitive defense data, with intelligence-gathering equipment seized.
Separately, in January, a Chinese software engineer and two Filipinos were arrested for reportedly mapping critical infrastructure, including military bases accessible to U.S. forces. Authorities found advanced navigation and data tools.
Recent actions between Manila and Beijing appear to be tit-for-tat responses as tensions continue to rise over disputed territories in the South China Sea. The region – believed to be rich in natural resources and a vital route for global trade – has long been a source of conflict between the two nations.
In recent years, the Philippines and China have faced off in several high-stakes encounters in contested areas like Scarborough Shoal. These confrontations have intensified in 2024 and 2025.
For example, a Chinese military helicopter recently flew within just three meters (10 feet) of a Philippine patrol plane, an act the Philippines called dangerous and unprofessional.
The Philippines has also joined joint naval drills with the United States and Japan near disputed waters, moves closely watched by Beijing.
Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.