China urges Philippines to stop complicating situation in South China Sea

China urges the Philippines to stop any actions that could complicate the situation in the South China Sea, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Tuesday.

The Philippines said earlier on Tuesday that a Chinese maritime militia vessel "deliberately sideswiped" and caused minor damage on one of its government fisheries boats in the South China Sea.

"The truth is that a Philippine government vessel navigated dangerously within the waters under China's jurisdiction and collided with a Chinese fishing vessel conducting normal operations. Such actions by the Philippine side infringe on China's sovereignty and pose a serious threat to the safety of Chinese fishing vessels and personnel. China urges the Philippines to genuinely respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea and to stop any actions that could complicate the situation," Mao said when responding to the remarks from the Philippine side.

China urges Philippines to stop complicating situation in South China Sea

Gold prices in Japan surged to a historical high of 14,088 yen (about 94.27 U.S. dollars) per gram, fueled by the ongoing turbulence in the Middle East and the yen's depreciation.

As of Thursday, gold retail prices in Japan had reached new highs for the second consecutive day. The futures price of gold has surged to 85.85 U.S. dollars per gram, making another record. Prices for silver and platinum have also seen an uptick.

A main factor contributing to the rise in gold prices is the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, which spurs investors to seek safer assets and boosts the demand for gold.

The continued depreciation of the yen against the U.S. dollar is also playing a crucial role, as it has led investors to speculate that the Japanese government may intervene in the foreign exchange market. Although the Bank of Japan has not yet taken any intervention measures, nervousness in the market has already begun to surface.

Gold prices hit record high in Japan