Scarborough Shoal ‘concrete’ looks just like rocks
A Philippine minister said they were concrete blocks and a "prelude to construction", but photos taken recently at the disputed Scarborough Shoal show only natural rocks and coral jutting above the surface.
A Philippine minister said they were concrete blocks and a "prelude to construction", but photos taken recently at the disputed Scarborough Shoal show only natural rocks and coral jutting above the surface.
The photos, obtained by the , appear to show rocks emerging at low tide at the same spot where Manila has claimed Chinese vessels were placing concrete structures.
The photos from the Philippines and Chinese sources could not be independently verified.
A fresh diplomatic quarrel between Manila and Beijing was triggered last week after the Philippine Department of Defence released air surveillance pictures showing a number of objects protruding from the water at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, which China calls Huangyan Island.
The Philippines said the objects were concrete structures built by China, and warned that they could be a prelude to further construction, as China had done in 1995 on Mischief Reef, which the Philippines also claims.
Manila recalled its ambassador to China, Erlinda Basilio, to discuss how to handle the saga. Naval chief Vice-Admiral Jose Luis Alano said on Tuesday that Philippine officials were considering removing the structures.
