Get out: Philippines tells China to leave waters

The Philippines has accused China of planning to occupy more areas in the South China Sea, repeating its demands for Beijing to withdraw a fleet of ships amassing since last month around the Whitsun Reef, near the disputed strategic Spratly Islands.

Manila maintains the reef, which it calls Julian Felipe, is located within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone, and believes the flotilla is manned by Chinese militias. It said last week that it had discovered illegally built structures on features in the Union Banks, the series of reefs that includes Whitsun.

“The continued presence of Chinese maritime militias in the area reveals their intent to further occupy (areas) in the West Philippine Sea,” Delfin Lorenzana, the defence secretary, said in a statement on Monday, using the local name for the South China Sea.

China has denied the charges, insisting the boats have anchored in the area to shelter from rough seas.

Initial intelligence gathered by Philippine patrols estimated the number of boats gathering around the reef at more than 200, before most fanned out into a wider area,

leaving 44 behind.

An investigation by Foreign Policy last week revealed at least seven of the vessels operating in the last month around the Union Banks, and Whitsun, belonged to the People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM), citing evidence from automatic identification system (AIS) signals.

The fleet’s continuing presence has raised tensions between Manila and Beijing, despite attempts in recent years by Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine president, to keep China on side.

“I am no fool. The weather has been good so far, so they have no reason to stay there,” said Lorenzana, in his second hostile statement on the issue in two days.

“Get out of there,” he said in Filipino, according to the Philippine Inquirer.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila responded that it was “completely normal” for Chinese vessels to fish in the area and take shelter in stormy seas.

An international tribunal invalidated China’s claim to 90 per cent of the South China Sea in 2016, but Beijing dismissed the ruling.