The Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday expressed serious concern over reports of China’s new construction and reclamation activities in the disputed South China Sea, saying these violate international law and existing agreements with claimants.
“The department takes note of the Bloomberg article on reported reclamation activities by China in unoccupied features of the Spratlys. We are seriously concerned as such activities contravene the Declaration of Conduct on the South China Sea’s undertaking on self-restraint and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” the DFA said in a statement.
The department issued the statement following a report published by Bloomberg stating that China has engaged in fresh construction activities in at least four unoccupied features in the Spratlys, including Lankiam Cay or Panata Reef, which the Philippines claims as its own.
Bloomberg quoted unnamed officials who said that reclamation activities have been taking place in Eldad Reef in the northern Spratlys, Lankiam Cay, Whitsun Reef, and Sandy Cay, where “some sand bars and other formations in the area expanded more than 10 times in size in recent years.”
China on Wednesday dismissed as false the online report.
“This is fake news,” the Chinese Embassy in Manila said.
The embassy pointed journalists to Beijing-based think-tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), which tweeted that Sandy Cay is occupied by Vietnam, and the sandbars in the other features mentioned in the Bloomberg report naturally change every year
The DFA said it has asked relevant Philippine agencies to verify and validate the contents of the report, which came out a few weeks before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. undertakes a state visit to China in early January.
The Bloomberg report said that Chinese fishing fleets operating as de facto maritime militias have carried out construction activities in the area — a move which could trigger tensions anew in the region.
Large holes, debris piles, and excavator tracks were seen in the areas as well as amphibious hydraulic excavators used in land reclamation projects, the report said.
Images seen by Bloomberg also showed “physical changes at both Whitsun Reef and Sandy Cay, where previously submerged features now sit permanently above the high-tide line.”
While China previously reclaimed areas it claimed in the South China Sea, officials quoted by Bloomberg expressed alarm on its “unprecedented” new building activities on unoccupied features. These officials warned that this is a move to change the status quo and bolster its claim and control over the waters.
The South China Sea is a vital sea lane where oil and natural gas have been discovered in several areas.
China, which claims a huge swathe of the sea as part of its territory, beefed up its reclamation activities in other disputed areas in the past and transformed previously submerged features into artificial islands with multi-level buildings and runways. It has also installed surface-to-air missiles in these areas, triggering concerns from countries, such as the US, Japan, and Australia.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed in 2002 a Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea or DOC, which calls on claimants to exercise restraint and stop new occupation in the South China Sea.
However, its non-binding nature and lack of provision to sanction misbehaving claimants renders the accord useless against aggression.
In 2013, the Philippines challenged China’s legal basis for its expansive claim before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, and won the case in a landmark award in 2016 after the tribunal invalidated Beijing’s assertions.
China has rejected the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, insisting that its “indisputable” and “historical” claim over nearly the entire South China Sea, including part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines has repeatedly accused Chinese coast guard and maritime militia of harassing and attacking fishing boats and other vessels.
In the Spratlys, China occupies at least seven islands and rocks, militarizing them with runways, ports, and radar systems.
In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning called the report “completely groundless.”
“Not taking action on uninhabited islands and reefs of the South China Sea is a solemn consensus reached by China and ASEAN countries through actions and declarations by each party,” she said, referring to the 10-member bloc.
“The development of China-Philippines relations currently has good momentum, and the two sides will continue to appropriately handle maritime issues through friendly consultation.”
Manila filed a diplomatic protest last week against Beijing after a Chinese coast guard vessel in November “forcefully” seized debris from the Chinese rocket that was retrieved by a Philippine navy vessel.
Denying the use of force, the Chinese embassy in Manila said the handover came after a “friendly consultation.”
The Defense department also last week expressed “great concern” over the reported swarming of Chinese vessels in Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal, which Manila claims as its territory.
“(President Ferdinand Marcos’) directive to the department is clear—we will not give up a single square inch of Philippine territory,” acting Defense Secretary Jose Faustino said after the incident.
Mr. Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on the Philippines’ maritime rights—in contrast to his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who was reluctant to criticize the superpower.
The US State Department spokesman this week expressed support to the Philippines on both incidents and called on China to “respect international law.”
The Chinese embassy hit back on Tuesday, accusing Washington of using the dispute to “stir up troubles.”
It acknowledged “differences” with Manila but did not address the alleged swarming incidents directly.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it would take diplomatic action once it receives a verified report on the alleged swarming of Chinese vessels. With AFP
