The Philippines has accused China of aggressively colonizing the South China Sea, as fears of a major conflict between the two countries increase.
He comes as a US carrier strike group, led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt, returning to the area for the second time in less than two months.
In the past few weeks, some 220 Chinese paramilitary ships, manned by maritime militias, have “swarmed” around a disputed reef in the South China Sea, with the Philippines warning that “incursions” could “trigger unwanted hostilities” – the observations Manila’s toughest.
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China says the vessels are nothing more than fishing boats, which are sheltered in the area due to poor sea conditions – but they are not fishing and the weather has been good. They also turn on powerful lights at night. The Philippine government says the ships are part of China’s maritime militia and are manned by reservists operating under the orders of the Coast Guard and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The boats are moored on the Whitsun Reef, within Manila’s exclusive 200-mile economic zone, and there are fears that Chinese ships might try to claim the reefs. The Philippine Defense Minister warned that Beijing also plans to occupy and assert its control over the most disputed territories.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte expressed concern to the Chinese ambassador about Chinese ships focusing on the South China Sea, and Vietnam also asked Beijing to respect its maritime sovereignty. On Tuesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi expressed great concern to his Chinese counterpart about the incursions.
The reef is part of the Spratly Islands, one of the main disputed archipelagos in the South China Sea, about 200 miles west of the Philippine province of Palawan. The Philippines claims that the offshore region is part of its territory, but is claimed wholly or partly by China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
An international court overturned China’s claim of 90% of the South China Sea in 2016, but Beijing does not recognize the decision. China has built islands in disputed waters in recent years, placing airstrips on some of them. Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei claim parts of the sea.
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Meanwhile, the USS Theodore Roosevelt also sailed the South China Sea to conduct “routine operations”, marking the second time he appeared in disputed waters in less than two months. The aircraft carrier group entered the South China Sea on April 4. The unit will conduct various exercises in the area, from anti-submarine exercises to “coordinated tactical training”.
At the same time, the first group of Chinese aircraft carriers started exercises near Taiwan and said that such exercises will become regular. The Chinese Navy said the group of aircraft carriers, led by Liaoning – the country’s first aircraft carrier placed on active duty – was carrying out “routine” exercises in the waters near Taiwan.
The objective is “to increase its capacity to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” he said. “Similar exercises will be conducted regularly in the future,” added the Chinese Navy, without giving further details.
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China’s statement follows the report by the Taiwan Ministry of Defense on a new incursion by the Chinese Air Force into the island’s air defense identification zone on Monday. He said he had “total understanding” of the situation in the air and at sea around Taiwan and that he was “handling it properly”.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is overseeing an overhaul of the island’s armed forces, launching new offensive equipment, such as stealthy killer corvettes in an attempt to stop any Chinese aggression.