The presence of China’s “maritime militia” near a South China Sea reef shows Beijing’s intent to occupy more disputed areas, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement on Sunday.
China has “done this before” in other contested areas like Scarborough Shoal and is “brazenly violating Philippine sovereignty,” Lorenzana said. He was reacting to a statement from China’s embassy in Manila on Saturday, which described waters around the Whitsun Reef — where hundreds of Chinese vessels were spotted early last month — as “traditional fishing grounds” and “part of China’s Nansha Islands.”
Lorenzana’s remarks signal a tougher stance from the Philippines government. It had initially issued a formal diplomatic protest to China over the matter, saying that the ships’ presence raised concerns on overfishing and safety of navigation. In a separate statement on Saturday, Lorenzana also refuted China’s earlier response that those vessels were sheltering from the wind, saying the the weather in the area has been good.
The Philippines, under President Rodrigo Duterte, has in recent years been building friendly ties with China while keeping its alliance with the U.S. The U.S. in late March expressed concerns over the presence of Chinese fishing vessels near the disputed reef, saying Beijing uses “maritime militia to intimidate, provoke and threaten other nations.”
