South China Sea: Philippines says Whitsun Reef dispute shows China intends to occupy more ‘features’
- Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the continued presence of ‘Chinese maritime militias’ reveals their intent to further occupy parts of the waterway
- The arrival of more than 200 Chinese ships at the reef in the Spratly Islands sparked a diplomatic row between Manila and Beijing
“The continued presence of Chinese maritime militias in the area reveals their intent to further occupy features in the West Philippine Sea,” Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement, using the local name for the South China Sea.
It was the second hostile statement by Lorenzana in two days as he repeated calls by the Philippines for the Chinese boats to leave Whitsun Reef, which Manila calls the Julian Felipe Reef, located within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
Chinese diplomats have said the boats anchored near the reef – numbering more than 200 based on initial intelligence gathered by Philippine patrols – were sheltering from rough seas and that no militia were aboard.
Will the Whitsun Reef dispute come between Beijing and Manila?
On Saturday, Lorenzana said there were still 44 Chinese vessels at Whitsun Reef despite improved weather.
“I am no fool. The weather has been good so far, so they have no reason to stay there,” he said. “Get out of there.”
The Chinese embassy in Manila responded to Lorenzana’s comments, saying it was “completely normal” for Chinese vessels to fish in the area and take shelter near the reef during rough sea conditions. It added, “Nobody has the right to make wanton remarks on such activities.”
The embassy called Lorenzana’s statement “perplexing” and urged authorities to avoid “unprofessional remarks which may further fan irrational emotions”.
An international tribunal invalidated China’s claim to 90 per cent of the South China Sea in 2016, but Beijing does not recognise the ruling and has built artificial islands in the disputed waters equipped with radar, missiles batteries and hangars for fighter jets.
02:37
Philippines sounds alarm over 200 Chinese ships in the South China Sea
“They have done this [occupy disputed areas] before at Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc and at Panganiban Reef, brazenly violating Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights under international law,” Lorenzana said in his Sunday statement.
Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei all have rival claims to the waters, which incorporate strategically crucial shipping lanes and could harbour oil and gas deposits.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
