Philippines poised to increase its presence in South China Sea amid tensions with Beijing

Name: Philippine coastguard sends strong warning to Chinese vessels during South China Sea patrol
Uploaded: 2021-04-21T11:08:33.000Z
Duration: 1 min 5 s
Description: Philippine coastguard sends strong warning to Chinese vessels during South China Sea patrol

The Philippines has ramped up its rhetoric in recent weeks in defiance of what it says is threatening behaviour by Chinese vessels in its exclusive economic zone

Nine vessels, a coastguard aircraft and police watercraft and rubber boats were being deployed in the South China Sea, including in waters near the Spratlys

2-MIN READ2-MIN

A member of the Philippine coastguard patrolling near Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea. Photo: AP

Reuters

Published: 7:08pm, 21 Apr 2021Updated: 3:42pm, 15 Jun 2021

The Philippines is expanding its presence in the South China Sea and deploying more ships and an aircraft to protect its maritime territory and resources, a government task force said on Wednesday.

The Philippines has ramped up its rhetoric in recent weeks in defiance of what it says is threatening behaviour by Chinese vessels in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), despite four years of rapprochement with historic rival China.

“We are exhausting all means possible to protect our territory and EEZ,” the Philippines’ South China Sea task force said in a statement.

The deployment is the latest move in an ongoing feud with China over what Manila called “swarming” by hundreds of fishing vessels it said were manned by Chinese state-backed militias. China has denied militias were aboard.

01:05

Philippine coastguard sends strong warning to Chinese vessels during South China Sea patrol

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered authorities to continue “sovereignty patrols”, and intensify operations against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in its territorial waters, the task force said.