Reuters /Manila
The Philippines strongly urged China to stop reclamation work on a disputed submerged reef within its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said yesterday.
A Philippine navy commander said on Thursday that China had started dredging around the disputed Mischief Reef, signalling Beijing may be preparing to expand its facilities in the area.
“We strongly urge China to desist from its reclamation activities at Panganiban Reef,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to Mischief reef by its Philippine name.
“Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Philippines has exclusive right to authorise construction of artificial islands, installations or other structures in the vicinity of Panganiban Reef.”
China claims the entire South China Sea, believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the sea where about $5tn of ship-borne trade annually.
Beijing has already undertaken reclamation work on six other reefs it occupies in the Spratlys, expanding land mass five-fold, aerial surveillance photos show.
