China arrests three Filipinos suspected of spying

The Philippine military presents to reporters five alleged Chinese spies on Jan 30. PHOTO: AFP

UPDATED Apr 03, 2025, 04:49 PM

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BEIJING – China said it had “destroyed” an intelligence network set up by the Philippine espionage agency and arrested three spies from the country.

The announcement on April 3 comes as the two countries continue to confront each other over disputed territory in the South China Sea and tensions mount over the Philippines’ security ties with its ally, the United States.

At least five Chinese nationals were arrested on suspicion of espionage in January and another two in February by Philippine law enforcers.

The latest arrests in China come two days after the Chinese embassy in Manila issued a travel warning to its citizens about frequent “harassment” from Philippine law enforcement agencies.

On April 3, state broadcaster CCTV reported that the Chinese authorities identified one of the suspected spies as a Philippine national who has lived and worked in China for a long time and has been found conducting espionage near military facilities.

The CCTV report included a video of his arrest and what appeared to be a recorded confession.