The coast guard said the growing numbers of Chinese military boats in the area was "alarming".

The Philippines has accused China of “swarming” a reef off its coast after more than 135 military boats were spotted in the South China Sea.

The coast guard said the boats were “dispersed and scattered” in the vicinity of Whitsun Reef, which it says is within its exclusive economic zone.

They said the growing presence of these military boats was “alarming”.

The South China Sea is at the centre of a territorial dispute between China, the Philippines and other countries.

Whitsun Reef - which the Philippines calls Julian Felipe Reef - is around 320km (200 miles) west of Palawan Island, more than 1,000km from the nearest major Chinese landmass of Hainan island.

  • BartsBigBugBag@lemmy.tfEnglish
    439·
    1 year ago

    If they didn’t want military vehicles there, they shouldn’t have carried out military drills with foreign militaries there. The U.S. gets to fly planes and put boats in the South China Sea, but China, who actually lives in the region, can’t? Bullshit Eurocentric double standards. Julian Felipe is far outside the accepted EEZ of the Philippines.

    • Kbin_space_program@kbin.social
      143·
      1 year ago

      The international military drills happen with permission.

      China and poohbear are just being bullies. They have no right to any of the South China sea.

      • BartsBigBugBag@lemmy.tfEnglish
        322·
        1 year ago

        Permission from who? The Philippines? Does the U.S. recognize the Philippine claim to the reef above the Vietnamese and Chinese claims? I know the article uses weasel words like “about 200mi” from the Philippines, but Whitesun Reef is almost 300mi from the waters of the Philippines, you can look on a map for yourself. So, if 200mi is the internationally recognized limit from which one can hold an EEZ, which it is, this chain should belong to none of the countries in question, and the waters should be open to all of them without restriction.

        • Skua@kbin.social
          122·
          1 year ago

          Whitesun Reef is almost 300mi from the waters of the Philippines, you can look on a map for yourself

          You should check your map more carefully. The nearest major landmass is Palawan, which the article correctly states is 320 km away. Palawan has 900,000 inhabitants and is in the Philippines. EEZs are 200 nautical miles, which is approximately 370 km, so unless the Spratly Islands are used to define EEZs then this reef is comfortably within the Filipino one.

        • ZapBeebz_@lemmy.worldEnglish
          102·
          1 year ago

          Whether Vietnam or the Philippines has a more solid legal claim is, frankly, up to them to figure out. The country who has zero legal claim , however, is China. So they can fuck right off.