{{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.}}<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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”.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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