MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines has expressed concern about hundreds of Chinese military vessels spotted in the disputed South China Sea this month, the latest example of tensions in the important waterway.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that about 220 vessels, believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel, were spotted on March 7 moored in line formation at a reef.
Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin asked if he would file a diplomatic protest over the presence of the ships, telling a journalist on Twitter: ‘Only if the generals tell me. In my opinion, foreign policy is the fist in the iron glove of the military. ”
The National Task Force for the Western Philippine Sea has expressed concern about overfishing and destruction of the marine environment, as well as the risks to the safety of navigation.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Sunday did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and calls to the Chinese embassy in Manila for comment were unanswered.
An international tribunal annulled China’s claim to 90% of the South China Sea in 2016, but Beijing does not recognize the ruling. China has been building islands in the disputed waters for the past few years, placing air strips on some of them.
Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei all claim parts of the sea.
In January, the Philippines protested against a new Chinese law that had its coastguard fired on foreign vessels, describing it as a “threat of war.”
The United States has repeatedly denied the hallmarks of China’s attempts to bully neighbors with competing interests, while Beijing has criticized Washington for what it calls interference in its internal affairs.
The Chinese vessels were with the Julian Felipe Reef, also known as Whitsun Reef, in the exclusive economic zone of Manila, the task force said, describing the site as a large, boomerang-shaped shallow coral reef in the northeast of the Pagkakaisa shore and -riwwe. ‘
“Despite clear weather at the time, the Chinese vessels stranded at the reef showed no actual fishing activity and their full white lights were turned on during the night,” the statement read.
The Philippines has pledged to monitor the situation and ‘to pursue its initiatives on environmental protection, food security and freedom of navigation peacefully and proactively’ in the South China Sea.
Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz in Manila; Additional reporting by Yilei Sun and Ryan Woo in Beijing; Edited by William Mallard