The Philippines dismissed concerns by China over its plan to repair military facilities in the South China Sea, a foreign ministry spokesman said yesterday, insisting Manila has sovereign rights over territories in the disputed areas.
The possible repair “is no way comparable to China’s massive reclamation activities, which not only violate international law ... but also unnecessarily raise regional tensions,” spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement.
“China’s recent statement expressing concern over what the Philippines plan to do should not distract us from the real issues in the South China Sea, which are China’s illegitimate ‘nine-dash line’ claim,” Jose said.
Maritime lawyers said Beijing routinely outlines the scope of its claims with reference to the so-called “nine-dash line” that encompasses about 90 percent of the 3.5 million square kilometer South China Sea on Chinese maps.
The South China Sea is believed to be rich in oil and gas. Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam lay claim to parts of the it, where about US$5 trillion of ship-borne trade passes every year.
The territorial dispute is seen as one of Asia’s hot spots, carrying risks that it could spiral out of control.
On Friday, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying (華春瑩) said the ministry was “seriously concerned” by the remarks by Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario on the possible resumption of repairs on Thitu Island, which is also claimed by Taiwan, which calls it Jhongye Island (中業島).
“This is not only a serious infringement of China’s sovereignty, but it also exposes the Philippines’ hypocrisy,” she told a daily news briefing, calling on the Philippines to withdraw from the islands.
Manila had halted activities last year over concerns about the effect on an international arbitration complaint it filed against China in 2013. A decision is expected early next year. Hua repeated that China would not participate in the case.
Manila in October last year called on all claimant states to stop construction work on small islands and reefs in the South China Sea. China itself is undertaking massive reclamation works in the area, while Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam have also been improving their facilities.
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