US ‘shares concern’ of PH over presence of China militia ships in WPS

(File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The United States expressed its support to the Philippines as it shared concerns over the presence of more than 200 Chinese ships at the Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) in the West Philippine Sea, noting that such vessels have been mooring in the area “for many months in increasing numbers.”

“We share the concerns of our Philippine allies. The [People’s Republic of China] uses maritime militia to intimidate, provoke, and threaten other nations, which undermines peace and security in the region,” the US Embassy in Manila said in a statement Tuesday.

“Chinese boats have been mooring in this area for many months in ever-increasing numbers, regardless of the weather. We stand with the Philippines, our oldest treaty ally in Asia,” it added.

On Monday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila denied the alleged presence of Beijing’s maritime militia at the said reef, which it claimed as part of Nansha Qundao, one of two political districts in the South China Sea established by the Chinese government in 2020, which the Philippines earlier protested.

China’s embassy also defended the presence of the Chinese ships as “normal practice.”

“Recently, some Chinese fishing vessels take shelter near Niu’e Jiao (Julian Felipe Reef) due to rough sea conditions. It has been a normal practice for Chinese fishing vessels to take shelter under such circumstances,” it said.

Prior to the Chinese embassy’s statement, the Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest over the presence of the vessels, believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel.

The ships, however, remained in place even after Manila protested their presence at the Julian Felipe Reef, which is located just around 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has already called on China to “stop this incursion and immediately recall these boats violating our maritime rights and encroaching into our sovereign territory.”

“We are committed to uphold our sovereign rights over the WPS,” Lorenzana said Sunday, as he expressed “grave concern” over the presence of the ships in Philippine waters.

EDV