Breaking News: The Philippines on Wednesday accused China of reclaiming land on Mabini Reef (also known as Johnson South Reef) in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, apparently to build an airstrip, only a day after Washington described Beijing's recent actions in the region as "provocative."
If confirmed, the airstrip would be the first built by China on any of the eight reefs and islands it occupies in the Spratly Islands and would mark a significant escalation in tensions involving several nations in the area.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, an area rich in energy deposits and an important passageway traversed each year by $5 trillion worth of ship-borne goods.
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have claims on the area.
‘A violation of Declaration on Conduct’
Philippine Foreign ministry spokesman Charles Jose told Reuters that China had been moving earth and materials to Johnson South Reef, known by the Chinese as Chigua, in recent weeks. He said China was reclaiming land in violation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, an informal code of conduct for the region also known as DOC.
"They're about to build an airstrip," Jose said.
He said evidence of the Chinese activity on the reef had been shown in aerial photographs taken by the Philippine Navy. The Philippines and Taiwan already have airstrips in the area.
The ministry had already lodged a protest with the Chinese and raised the issue behind closed doors at last weekend's summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations in Myanmar, Jose said.
‘Reclamation and earthmoving activities’
“Ang puwede nating i-confirm (What we can confirm) is that there is ongoing reclamation or earthmoving activities in that portion…Hindi ko lang alam yung exact laki niya. ‘Yung iba kasi sinasabi 500 meters, ‘yung iba [ang] sabi 300 meters, tapos sinasabi 300 by 300 (I don’t know the exact size. Some say it’s 500 meters, others say 300 meters, and still others 300 by 300),” Defense spokesman Peter Paul Galvez said.
“The department confirms the observation or the ongoing reclamation or earthmoving activities in said area,” he added.
Galvez said the construction could be an airstrip but refused to speculate further.
When did China start construction? “They have existing structure that has been there for several years already...May luma silang structure dun (They have old structures there) but now we observed sometime early this year, January or February, we observed palaki na ng palaki e (it’s become bigger and bigger),” he said.
He said his office got the data from the Philippine military’s maritime patrol missions.
Asked about the impact of this construction to the security and stability and security of the Kalayaan Group of Islands?
“Huwag muna tayo siguro pumunta dun kasi assessment yan e, i-confirm na lang muna (Let’s not go to the assessement, let’s just confirm the construction),” he said.
A military official agreed with Jose and said the construction “is a violation of the DOC. It specifies that no new structures should be built. This is a clear violation of the DOC. This is an outright violation of the DOC.”
“We have kept and will keep to it, as we have done in the past, we will keep to our promises under the agreement entered into together with other regional partners and we hope that they do the same,” said the security official who requested that he not be named because he is not authorized to speak on the matter.
High tension in South China Sea
Tensions in the South China Sea were already high after China moved a large oil rig into an area also claimed by Vietnam. Beijing and Hanoi each accused the other of ramming its ships near the disputed Paracel Islands,
On Tuesday, Kerry said during a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that China's introduction of the oil rig and numerous government vessels into the area disputed with Vietnam was "provocative," a State Department spokeswoman confirmed.
China in turn said there had indeed been provocative action taken in the area but that it was not the guilty party, with the foreign ministry blaming the United States for encouraging such behavior. The ministry said Wang had urged Kerry to "act and speak cautiously."
Beijing says the South China Sea issue should be resolved by direct talks between those involved and has bristled at what it sees as unwarranted US interference.
It has also looked askance at the US "pivot" back to Asia, especially Washington's efforts to boost existing military links with Tokyo and Manila.
The remote and otherwise unremarkable Johnson South Reef has been a catalyst for conflict in the past. In March 1988, China and Vietnam fought a brief naval skirmish on and around the reef with up to 90 Vietnamese reported killed.
China has been aggressively enforcing its “nine-dash line” claims which overlap their neighbors’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) such as those in the West Philippine Sea (SEA).
Over the past couple of years, China has established its position in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in Masinloc, Zambales and Ayungin Reef in Spratlys.
Over the Panatag dispute, Manila has challenged Beijing to prove its territorial claims before an arbitral court of the United Nations in the hope of peacefully settling the dispute.
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