US-Philippine military cooperation urged not to target third party

A formation of the Nanhai Fleet of China's Navy on Saturday finished a three-day patrol of the Nansha islands in the South China Sea. [Photo/Xinhua]

Military cooperation between the United States and the Philippines should not "target a third-party" or "infringe the interests of the third-party", the Ministry of National Defense told China Daily on Thursday.

The comment was made after US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Wednesday that US forces will gain access to more military bases in the Philippines than the five already announced, AFP reported.

In response, the ministry referred to the fact that the US military bases in the Philippines were closed in the early 1990s.

The ministry said in a written reply that "now the US army has returned, has reinforced its military presence in the Philippines and has given rise to militarization in the South China Sea region".

"Reinforcing a military alliance is a sign of Cold-War thinking, and it runs against the trend of this era - peace, development, cooperation and win-win," the ministry said.

"We urge the relevant parties to break away from the outdated Cold-War thinking, and not to target a third-party, infringe interests of the third-party or impact the regional peace and stability when they embark on bilateral military cooperation," the ministry added.