The Philippines warned Beijing that it would face a barrage of diplomatic protests if Chinese ships believed to be part of a “maritime militia” do not leave disputed areas in the South China Sea, causing the feud between the two nations escalates.
“For every day of delay, the Republic of the Philippines will file a diplomatic protest,” the State Department said in a statement statement Monday. It also reiterated its call on the Chinese ships to immediately withdraw from Whitsun Reef, which it says is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
The presence of Chinese ships near the reef shows Beijing’s intention to occupy more disputed areas, Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement Sunday.
China has “done this before” in other disputed areas such as Scarborough Shoal and “blatantly violates Philippine sovereignty,” Lorenzana said. He responded to a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Manila, describing the waters around the Whitsun Reef on Saturday – where hundreds of Chinese ships spotted early last month – as ‘traditional fishing grounds’ and ‘part of China’s Nansha Islands’.
The embassy’s statement “contained blatant falsehoods,” the Philippine State Department said, citing the 2016 international arbitration victory against Beijing. The agency also reminded Chinese embassy officials that they are guests who must respect Filipino officials.
The Philippines says the Chinese ‘militia’ is expanding to other disputed reefs
Comments from the Defense and Foreign Ministries indicate a tougher stance on the part of the Philippine government, which had initially a formal diplomatic protest against China stating that the ships had taken off concerns about overfishing and navigation safety. In a separate statement on Saturday, Lorenzana also refuted China’s earlier response that those ships were sheltered from the wind and said the weather in the area was good.
Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin said separately on Sunday that he is “considering a demarche” in response to the Chinese embassy’s claim that Pentecost Reef is part of Chinese territory. He also said on Twitter that “swarming is of no avail.”
The Philippines, under President Rodrigo Duterte, has developed friendly ties with China in recent years maintains its alliance with US government De Biden at the end of March expressed concern about the presence of Chinese fishing vessels near the disputed reef, saying Beijing “uses maritime militias to intimidate, provoke and threaten other nations”.
– With the help of Ditas B Lopez
Rearranges the lead and updates with the statement from the State Department on an ongoing basis