(20 Aug 2024) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Beijing - 20 August 2024 1. Wide of news conference 2. Wide of reporters 3. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson: “The U.S. is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to intervene in the maritime issue between China and the Philippines, nor should they use the Mutual Defense Treaty as an excuse to jeopardize China’s sovereignty and rights and interests in the South China Sea. The U.S. needs to