Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun criticized on Monday the Philippines for disrupting regional strategic stability, saying that the Southeast Asian country is openly siding against regional countries by conducting large-scale military drills with the United States, a non-regional country.

"Currently, the international community is facing challenges of unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonic bullying. Countries in the region are urgently hoping to strengthen solidarity and cooperation to maintain regional stability and jointly tackle challenges," Guo said at a regular news briefing in Beijing.

It is against this backdrop that the Philippines starts military exercises with the US, introducing and deploying tactical weapons, disrupting regional strategic stability, and undermining the prospects of economic growth in the region, Guo said, adding that the move has caused strong opposition and disapproval from regional nations.

The spokesman also expressed firm opposition to any country using the Taiwan question as a pretext to strengthen military deployments in the region, to provoke tensions, and disrupt regional peace and stability.

"The Taiwan question is China's internal affair and is at the core of China's core interests," Guo said.

He urged relevant parties to stop playing with fire on the Taiwan question, as those who play with fire will eventually get burnt.