Philippines plans South China Sea ‘logistics hub’, as Beijing accused of increasing boats

Name: Philippine coast guard confronts Chinese maritime ‘militia’ vessels in South China Sea
Uploaded: 2021-05-12T12:53:13.000Z
Duration: 1 min 5 s
Description: Philippine coast guard confronts Chinese maritime ‘militia’ vessels in South China Sea

Foreign Secretary Teddy Locsin Jnr says there are now 300 Chinese boats in the disputed waters, up from 200 in March

His remarks came as the armed forces chief said the Philippines was on track to build facilities on Thitu island to boost the efforts of the maritime forces

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Protesters wear a mask of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a rally on May 7, 2021. Photo: AP

Alan Robles

Published: 8:53pm, 12 May 2021Updated: 1:34pm, 13 May 2021

The Philippines’ Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr on Wednesday said he was considering filing another diplomatic protest against China after it added more ships in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying the vessels in the contested waters had “increased” to almost 300 from just over 200 in March.

He said he would take the issue up with his counterpart, adding a protest was “essential because you never let any incident pass”, he told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday.

Locsin’s comments came after armed forces chief General Cirilito Sobejana on Monday said the Philippines was on track to build facilities on Thitu island that would allow ships to refuel and resupply and sailors to rest, increasing the effectivity of the country’s maritime forces.

Sobejana told reporters the military was discussing funding for the “logistics hub” with the local government concerned.

The armed forces chief also said that marines and sailors had been deployed to nine stations in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zones in the South China Sea, and that CCTV cameras would be set up to monitor certain areas.

Responding to the news, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Tuesday said that China and the Philippines “enjoy a friendship spanning thousands of years whereas the South China Sea issue arose only several decades ago”.

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Philippine coast guard confronts Chinese maritime ‘militia’ vessels in South China Sea

“Our two countries have reached the consensus to properly and peacefully handle the issue through dialogue and negotiation,” Hua said, adding that Beijing hoped “certain individuals will refrain from stirring up trouble on this issue”.