Philippines vows to defend territory against China
The Philippines vowed on Thursday to “defend what is ours” as part of a stand-off over a Chinese warship circling a South China Sea reef which is occupied by Filipino marines.
The Philippines vowed on Thursday to “defend what is ours” as part of a stand-off over a Chinese warship circling a South China Sea reef which is occupied by Filipino marines.
The Philippines this week protested the “provocative and illegal presence” of the warship near Second Thomas Shoal, but China brushed off the complaint with an insistence that the area was part of its territory.
Philippine foreign department spokesman Raul Hernandez said on Thursday the warship, along with two patrol vessels and a fleet of Chinese fishing boats, remained near the shoal.
“They should not be there. They do not have the right to be there ... no-one should doubt the resolve of the Filipino people to defend what is ours in that area,” Hernandez said in a text message to AFP.
“Our navy and our coastguard are mandated to enforce the laws of the (Philippine) republic.”
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters far away from its main landmass and approaching the coasts of Southeast Asian countries.