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
    -21•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
      11•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
      8•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.

    • at_an_angleEnglish
      1•1 year ago

      Your a dumb fuck. The USA recognizes ALL legitimate boarders. If the reef is in that border, then it’s there’s.

      Also, yes. Three USA and the Philippines are allies and were given permission to be in their waters.

      Instead of spewing blind hate for America (FUCK YEAH!), maybe try looking up US Philippine relations. Dumb fuck.