The Philippines said on Wednesday it was “seriously concerned” by reports that China has begun to develop unoccupied land in the hotly contested waters of the South China Sea.
New man-made islands have been seen around the disputed Spratleys archipelago where a Chinese vessel with a hydraulic excavator has been seen in operation in recent years, Bloomberg reported, citing satellite images from US officials.
“We are seriously concerned that such activities contravene the Declaration on Conduct in the South China Sea with Respect to Restraint and the 2016 arbitral award,” the Philippine Foreign Ministry responded on Tuesday, adding that it had requested other agencies to investigate.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila denounced “fake news”.
Beijing claims almost the entire waterway, through which billions of dollars in trade pass each year.
China is ignoring a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that found its historical claims without merit.
The Philippine ministry’s statement comes a week after Manila protested against Beijing, one of whose coast guard vessels in November “forcefully” seized debris from a Chinese rocket first recovered by a navy vessel. filipino.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila denied the use of force and said the rocket fairing had been returned to them after “friendly consultation”.
Last week, the Philippine Department of Defense also expressed “great concern” over reports of numerous Chinese vessels at Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal, both of which Manila claims to be part of its territory.
“The directive” from President Ferdinand Marcos “is clear – we will not give up a single square centimeter of Philippine territory,” acting defense minister Jose Faustino announced after the incident.
The US State Department spokesperson this week expressed support for the Philippines over the two incidents, calling on China to “respect international law”.
The Chinese embassy in Manila hit back on Tuesday, accusing Washington of using the dispute to “sow confusion”, acknowledging “differences” with Manila but not directly addressing the alleged boat influx.
While other countries are also asserting their presence in these disputed waters, China has been the most aggressive, militarizing islands with airstrips, ports and radar systems.