MANILA, Philippines (AP) – The Philippine military has ordered more naval ships to be deployed on “sovereignty patrols” in the South China Sea, where a Chinese fleet swarmed around a disputed reef, demanding Manila to leave the area, ignored.
Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana has asked about 200 Chinese ships that he described as militia boats to immediately leave Whitsun Reef, a shallow coral area about 175 nautical miles (324 kilometers) west of the city of Bataraza in the western Philippine province of Palawan. China ignored the call, insisting that it owns the offshore area and that the ships provide shelter from rough seas.
Military Chief General Cirilito Sobejana ordered the deployment of additional naval vessels to bolster the country’s “maritime sovereignty patrols” in disputed waters, the military said Thursday.
It did not say how close the Philippine naval ships would maneuver to the Chinese ships, whose presence Lorenzana has called a “raid” and “provocative action to militarize the area.”
“With the increased presence of the Navy in the area, we seek to reassure our people of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with their strong and unwavering commitment to protect and defend them from harassment and ensure that they respect their rights. can enjoy the country’s rich fishing grounds, ”military spokesman Major General Edgard Arevalo said in a statement.
The United States on Tuesday said it supports the Philippines in its new feud with Beijing, accusing China of “using maritime militias to intimidate, provoke and threaten other nations, which is undermining peace and security in the region.”
The Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest, but China insisted it owns the reef, which it calls Niué Jiao, and said Chinese ships have congregated in the area to avoid rough waters. However, the US said, “Chinese boats have been mooring in this area in increasing numbers for months, regardless of the weather.”
Beijing denied that the ships were maritime militias. “Any speculation in this is of no use, but causes unnecessary irritation,” the Chinese embassy said Monday.
The Philippine government says the reef is well within the country’s internationally recognized exclusive economic zone, where it “has the exclusive right to exploit or conserve resources.”
Philippine military officials on Wednesday discussed the standoff with China’s People’s Liberation Army, releasing Lorenzana’s demand that the Chinese ships leave the reef, which Manila calls Julian Felipe, Arevalo said.
President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed Manila’s position during a meeting with Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, but reported no resolution.
Greg Poling of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, a US-based think tank that closely monitors territorial conflicts, said more Chinese fishing and militia ships had recently visited the Whitsun Reef on the northeastern edge of Union Banks, an atoll where China has two bases. Vietnam, which also claims the area, has four bases.
“This commitment at Whitsun Reef is not new, but the numbers are way up,” Poling told The Associated Press.
China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have been in a tense territorial impasse over the resource-rich and busy South China Sea for decades.