Philippines repeats call for Chinese ships to leave Whitsun Reef
- The country’s defence minister Delfin Lorenzana said he was ‘no fool’ after Beijing claimed the vessels were sheltering from the wind
- Manila has said the ships are being used as a ‘militia’ in the South China Sea
The Philippines on Saturday said Chinese vessels are still moored around Whitsun Reef in the disputed South China Sea.
Manila has repeatedly asked China to withdraw the vessels, which at one point numbered over 200, from its exclusive economic zone in the Spratly Islands about 320km (200 miles) west of the Philippine province of Palawan.
Sovereignty over all or some of the islands is claimed by mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. The Philippines says the ships are a maritime militia, while China insists they are civilian fishing boats “sheltering from the wind”.
The Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said dozens of Chinese vessels remain in the area and again called for their removal.
02:37
Philippines sounds alarm over 200 Chinese ships in the South China Sea
“The Chinese ambassador has a lot of explaining to do. As of our latest maritime and aerial surveillance, there are still 44 Chinese vessels that are in Julian Felipe Reef,” he said in a statement.
