Philippines, seeking to appease Beijing, halts construction in South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has ordered military officials to stop construction work on a sandbar in a disputed area of the South China Sea after Beijing complained, the country’s defense chief said Wednesday.

Duterte’s decision to halt work on the project, which was to include a shelter for Philippine fishermen, signals an effort to improve ties with China before a summit meeting in Vietnam this weekend.

China complained in August about the work on the sandbar at Sandy Cay, the Philippine defense secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, said. The sandbar is near Thitu Island, which Manila calls Pag-Asa island and claims as its own.

“They complained that we were occupying a new feature,” Lorenzana said, adding that the Philippine Defense Ministry had transported people there “to put structures for our fishermen.”

The resource-rich Spratly Islands are claimed in whole or in part by both nations, as well as by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Beijing has been creating artificial islands in the South China Sea, expanding former reefs and outcrops into guarded permanent outposts, increasing tensions with Washington, which has sent warships through the area.

Lorenzana said that Beijing had invoked an agreement between the Chinese and Philippine foreign ministers to maintain the status quo in the area.

China claims ownership of a vast majority of the South China Sea, asserting rights even to waters near the shores of other nations.

A third of global maritime traffic passes through the South China Sea, making the disputes a source of contention.

Some Philippine lawmakers oppose what they see as Duterte’s acquiescence to China.

Rep. Gary Alejano, a former marine captain who had warned of China’s increasing presence near Thitu, accused Duterte of buckling to Beijing, saying the Philippines could rightfully set up structures on the sandbar.

“There was no new occupation of the sandbars by the Philippines because these sandbars have been traditionally under effective control by Philippine troops,” he said.