The United States said Tuesday (March 23) that it supports the Philippines in the latest dispute in the South China Sea. The Philippines recently spotted more than 200 Chinese fishing boats on a rocky reef in the South China Sea disputed with China and asked the vessels to leave, but the Chinese side said the boats were sheltering near the reef.
“We stand with the Philippines, our oldest treaty ally in Asia,” the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.
The U.S. Embassy also expressed concern about the presence of Chinese vessels and accused China of using “maritime militias to intimidate, provoke and threaten other nations and undermine peace and security in the region.”
The statement added: “The number of Chinese vessels moored in the area has been increasing for months, regardless of weather conditions.”
The Philippine government agency overseeing the disputed area said on Saturday evening that about 220 Chinese boats were anchored in the waters around Whitsun Reef on March 7. The Philippine government believes the men on the fishing boats are militiamen.
The Philippines calls the reef Julian Felipe, which it says is entirely within its exclusive economic zone and has “the exclusive right to develop or protect any resources. Beijing and Vietnam also claim sovereignty over the reef.
The Philippine defense secretary has called on China to recall the fishing boats. In addition, the Philippines has lodged a diplomatic protest over the presence of the Chinese vessels.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the “continued deployment, presence and activities of Chinese vessels” violate the Philippines’ sovereignty and jurisdiction.
For its part, the Chinese side said that Niuyu Reef is part of China’s Spratly Islands. Chinese fishing boats have long been fishing in the waters around Niuyu Reef.
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines also said in a statement on Monday, “It is normal for some Chinese fishing boats to take shelter near Niuyu Reef recently due to sea conditions. There are no so-called ‘Chinese maritime militia boats’ and any unwarranted speculation is unhelpful, I hope the parties concerned will look at it rationally.”
The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest sea lanes. The waters are Home to 10 percent of the world’s fish and are rich in oil and gas resources. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to the South China Sea.
China has ignored a 2016 international tribunal ruling that declared China’s “nine-dash line” sovereignty claim “has no legal basis” and that China has no “historical rights” in the South China Sea. “.
Critics have repeatedly pointed to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s failure to confront China’s aggressive behavior and his decision not to rush China to comply with the international arbitration ruling.
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