Philippines plan to turn disputed South China Sea islands into tourist sites risks aggravating China
The project could help improve the port and runway facilities of Thitu, known in the Philippines as Pagasa.
The Philippines plans to turn some disputed South China Sea islands into tourist sites to promote peace as China builds suspected military facilities on nearby reclaimed reefs, Filipino officials said on Monday.
Military chief of staff General Gregorio Catapang announced the plan as he flew to Thitu, the largest of nine outcrops garrisoned by Filipino forces in the Spratly archipelago, and overflew the eight others.
He said the military would help local officials put in place next year a ferry service.
It would take tourists from Palawan island in the Philippines, the nearest large land mass, to those islands and reefs in the Spratly islands which are held by Manila.
“What we want to happen is, from Palawan we can pass by Patag island, Lawak, Likas and then Pagasa. We can go back via Panata, Kota island and then Ayungin Shoal and back,” Catapang said, using the Filipino name for some of the Filipino-held islands.
“It can be a good tourism effort,” the general told reporters.
Catapang said the project could help improve the port and runway facilities of Thitu, known in the Philippines as Pagasa, amid what the Philippines has described as massive reclamation and construction activity which began last year on nearby Subi Reef and other Chinese-held features.