MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines said on Saturday it had sent ships to disputed areas in the South China Sea, accusing China of building “artificial islands” in an escalation of maritime disputes.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s office said in a statement that the Coast Guard sent a ship “to monitor China’s allegedly illegal activities of creating ‘artificial islands'” and that two other ships were in the area. It added that they are being deployed on a rotational basis.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriera said at the forum that “small-scale land reclamation” is taking place at Sabina Shoal, which Manila calls Escoda, and that China is the “most likely actor.”
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Philippine claims, which could deepen the rift between the two countries.
The Philippines’ national security adviser on Friday called for the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat over an alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Philippine admiral regarding a maritime dispute.
China and Manila have been locked in a bitter standoff for a year over territorial control of the South China Sea, where trade worth $3 trillion a year takes place.
China claims nearly all of the vital waterway, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that the Chinese government’s claims had no basis under international law.
China is carrying out large-scale land reclamation and building air and other military facilities on some islands in the South China Sea, raising concerns in Washington and the surrounding region.
Citing the “alarming” presence of dozens of Chinese vessels, including research vessels and naval ships, Tarriera said Philippine ships were “captured and documented dumping crushed coral on sandbars. He said the ship was anchored at Sabina Reef for the purpose of “doing business.”
Tarriera said the Chinese vessel’s presence on the atoll, 124 miles (200 kilometers) off the Philippine province of Palawan, coincided with the coast guard’s discovery of piles of dead and broken coral. .
He said the Coast Guard plans to bring marine scientists to the site to determine whether the coral pile is a natural phenomenon or caused by human intervention.
He said Manila and China will be stationed “long-term” at Sabina Reef, a rendezvous point for Philippine ships carrying out resupply missions to Philippine warships stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, where maritime accidents frequently occur. He added that he plans to do so. .
(Reporting by Karen Lema in Manila; Editing by William Mallard)
