The presence of China’s “maritime militia” near a reef in the South China Sea shows Beijing’s intention to occupy more disputed areas, according to a statement from Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
China has “done this before” in other contested areas, such as Scarborough Shoal, and is “blatantly violating the Philippines’ sovereignty,” said Lorenzana on Sunday. He was reacting to a statement from the Chinese embassy in Manila, which on Saturday described the waters around the Whitsun Reef – where hundreds of Chinese ships were detected early last month – as “traditional fishing grounds” and “part of China’s Nansha Islands”.
Lorenzana’s comments signal a tougher stance by the Philippine government, which had initially issued a formal diplomatic protest to China, saying the ships had raised concerns about overfishing and boating safety. In a separate statement on Saturday, Lorenzana also refuted China’s earlier response that these ships were protecting themselves from the wind, saying the weather in the area had been good.
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Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said separately on Sunday that he is “considering a due diligence” following the Chinese embassy’s claim that the Whitsun reef is part of Chinese territory. He also said on Twitter that “swarming does not lead to anything”.
The Philippines, under President Rodrigo Duterte, has been building friendly ties with China in recent years. maintaining its alliance with the US The Biden government at the end of March expressed concern about the presence of Chinese fishing vessels near the disputed reef, saying that Beijing uses “maritime militias to intimidate, provoke and threaten other nations”.
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– With the help of Ditas B Lopez
(Adds comments from the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the 4th paragraph)