China verifying reports about Chinese maritime militia vessels near Pag-asa Island — envoy

China's Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua on Monday addressed reports that Chinese maritime militia vessels have been surrounding Manila occupied-Pag-asa Island in the South China Sea.

"So far I know they are [Chinese] fishermen [stationed in the area]," Zhao told reporters ahead of his courtesy call on presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo in Malacañang. "They are not armed at all."

Asked if China will deploy militiamen to Pag-Asa Island, Zhao said: "Well we do not know whether there are militiamen in that area or not but it is clearly...disputed area."

"But we have been handling this issue through friendly and diplomatic channels so you don't have to worry about whether there will be any kind of outbreak of conflict or not," he said.

Hours before Zhao issued the statement, Panelo, citing a report from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command, said in a press briefing that the people on board the vessels were not fishermen. The AFP Wesmincon said the vessels were part of the China maritime militia. 

Zhao said reports that there were 600 Chinese vessels around the Pag-asa Island are still subject to verification even though the Philippine military claims to have spotted only 275 Chinese vessels from January to March this year.

"Well, so far that I know there are fishermen from both sides, but whether it is...600 whether they are surrounding the islands that you have people there, it is really up to further investigation and verification," he said.

"If they [media reports] are true, I'm sure both sides can handle the issue through diplomatic channels in a friendly manner."

He also said the Chinese vessels are not blocking Filipinos from going to a string of sandbars close to the island.

The Philippine government has already filed a diplomatic protest over the presence of the Chinese vessels.

Filipino forces occupy 10 islands and reefs in the disputed Spratly islands off the South China Sea - the biggest being Pag-asa Island, where troops and civilian villagers have lived for many years.

The inhabitants reside in low-slung houses often battered by storms during the rainy season. — RSJ, GMA News