Philippines Rebukes China for ‘militarization’ in South China Sea

{{The Philippines hit out at China on Sunday over the “increasing militarization” of the South China Sea as tensions between the neighbors flared amid slow-moving regional efforts to forge a compromise over one of Asia’s naval flashpoints.}}

The rebuke by Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario at a regional summit in Brunei came a day after China’s state media warned of an inevitable “counterstrike” against the Philippines if it continued to provoke Beijing.

Friction between China and the Philippines over disputed territories in the oil and gas rich sea has surged since last year due to several naval stand-offs and fraying diplomatic efforts to forge a regional agreement on maritime conduct.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hopes to persuade Beijing to join talks on a proposed Code of Conduct (CoC) this year, but China’s naval action has alarmed some nations, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam.

Most recently, the Philippines accused China of encroaching on its territory after three Chinese ships converged just 5 nautical miles from a small reef where the Philippines maintains a small military force.

This month the Philippines moved more troops and supplies to the reef, which is within its 200-nautical mile economic exclusion zone. China, which does not recognize the zone, condemned it as an “illegal occupation”.

Del Rosario said the “massive” presence of Chinese military and paramilitary ships at the Second Thomas shoal and at another reef called the Scarborough Shoal – the site of a tense standoff last year – was a threat to regional peace.

“The statement on counterstrike is an irresponsible one. We condemn any threats of use of force,” Del Rosario told reporters in Brunei following a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers.

He said the ministers had discussed China’s ongoing “illegal” occupation of the Scarborough Shoal, which is just 124 nautical miles of the Philippine coast.

{wirestory}