China media warns Manila on military in Spratlys

BEIJING—Chinese media on Friday warned the Philippines against building up its military presence in disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), amid a deepening rift between the two countries.

A strongly worded editorial in the China Daily accused Manila of infringing “China’s territorial integrity” and said the Philippines could pay “a high price” for misjudging the issue.

The Philippines was “not taking seriously” an agreement struck by Beijing and Association of Southeast Asian Nations members in Indonesia last month “to solve the maritime disputes in peace,” the English language newspaper said.

The editorial came after a weekend Philippine Star newspaper report that the Philippine navy would soon complete a shelter to “protect troops guarding and securing the country’s maritime domain” on an island claimed by both countries.

The shell-like structure the navy began building in May is on an island called Patag by the Philippines and Feixin by China — part of the Spratlys chain which is also wholly or partially claimed by Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Tensions in the decades-old dispute escalated this year amid accusations from the Philippines and Vietnam that China was becoming increasingly aggressive in staking its claims to the sea, which the Philippines.

Manila has accused Chinese forces of harassing an oil exploration vessel and shooting at Filipino fishermen.

The Philippine navy is awaiting the arrival of a newly-purchased US-built coast guard ship the Star said would be used to “secure natural resources” — which the China Daily said have been tapped in “illegal” projects.

“What Manila has done not only constitutes an infringement of China’s territorial integrity but also runs counter to Asean’s stance and the spirit of the guidelines,” for implementing Asean’s 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

“There could well be a high price to pay for any misjudgment on the South China Sea issue by countries like the Philippines,” the editorial said.