44 Chinese ships remain off Julian Felipe Reef despite protest —Philippine task force

Forty-four Chinese maritime militia ships remain off Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea despite a protest filed by the Philippines and a demand for Beijing to pull them out, a national task force said Wednesday.

"On March 29, 2021, 44 Chinese maritime militias remain moored, anchored, and stationary at Julian Felipe Reef," according to National Task Force-West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) in a statement.

A recent maritime patrol by the Philippine military also saw that aside from these 44, over 200 other Chinese vessels were seen scattered over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).

"The Philippines calls on China to immediately withdraw these vessels flying its flag," the NTF-WPS said.

Julian Felipe Reef, called Niu’e Jiao by China, is a large boomerang-shaped shallow coral reef at the northeast of Pagkakaisa Banks and Reefs (Union Reefs) located approximately 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan. It is well within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The NTF-WPS also maintained that the vessels -- which China said were fishing boats -- are maritime militia and that their build-up and massing formation from Julian Felipe Reef to other areas of the Kalayaan Island Group is hazardous to navigation and safety of life at sea.

"They may be doing illicit activities at night and their lingering (swarming) presence may cause irreparable damage to the marine environment due to marine pollution and destruction of coral reefs," NTS-WPS said.

It added that the presence of the Chinese vessels "poses a threat to the peaceful exercise of sovereign rights of the Philippines in its EEZ."

The vessels, numbering 220, were first spotted on March 7.

China has denied the presence of Chinese militia vessels off Julian Felipe Reef, saying they were just fishing vessels taing shelter near the reef due to rough sea conditions.

Other ships

In addition, the NTF-WPS said 115 Chinese vessels are in Chigua (Kennan) Reef, 45 vessels in Pag-asa Island and 50 other vessels are dispersed in Panganiban (Mischief), Kagitingan (Fiery), and Zamora (Subi) Reefs—all within KIG.

Further, four People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels were also spotted in Panganiban Reef.

The Philippines has lodged a diplomatic protest in connection with the presence of the ships off Julian Felipe Reef.

Deep concern

"The NTF-WPS reiterates its assertion of Philippine sovereignty, and sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the KIG and West Philippine Sea and expresses deep concern over the continuing unlawful presence (swarming) of the Chinese maritime militia which did not pull out and have remained in Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef and are now in other areas of the Kalayaan Island Group in the Municipality of Kalayaan, Palawan," it said.

The NTF-WPS also announced that as a result of Chinese vessels swarming the Philippines’ EEZ, the Philippines has increased the deployment of maritime vessels from the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to undertake enhanced routine patrols to safeguard Philippines’ sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national patrimony in the KIG.

A United Nations court, in a July 2016 decision, rejected China’s nine-dash line theory claiming the entire South China Sea and upheld the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles from territorial sea as its EEZ.

The same UN decision also ruled that the Spratly Islands, Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Recto (Reed) Bank are within the Philippines' EEZ.

The United States, Japan, Canada, Australia are some of the countries that called on Chinese vessels to leave the Julian Felipe reef consistent with the Hague ruling and the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Seas.

The NTF-WPS welcomed such support to rules-based approach.

"Neither the Philippines nor the international community will ever accept China’s assertion of its so-called “indisputable integrated sovereignty” over almost all of the South China Sea, part of which is the WPS,” it said. --KBK, GMA News