The Philippines government has reported signs of China creating artificial islands in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
According to Reuters and Bloomberg on the 12th (local time), Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos issued a statement the day before and announced the dispatch of a Coast Guard ship to monitor China’s illegal construction of an artificial island to the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea, specifically at the Sabina Shoal (known as Escoda Shoal in the Philippines).
Brigadier General Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, mentioned that small landfill activities have been detected at the Sabina Shoal, which is most likely to be conducted by China. Tarriela revealed that the Philippines Coast Guard discovered piles of broken coral fragments at the shoal.
He also pointed out that the period of the discovery of the coral fragments coincides with the presence of dozens of Chinese naval ships and marine research vessels in the area.
As a result, the Philippines Coast Guard has anchored a coast guard ship at the Sabina Shoal to capture and record the scene of removing dead coral fragments on the shoal. In addition, they will take marine scientists to the Sabina Shoal to determine whether the coral fragments are a result of natural phenomena or human activity.
Tarriela added that the Coast Guard plans to have its ships stay in the area for an extended period, including the rotation of two additional Coast Guard ships.
The Sabina Shoal is located about 124.27 miles northwest of Palawan Island in the western Philippines. This area also serves as a gathering point for Philippine ships that supply goods to the Philippine military forces stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal (known as Ren ai Jia in Chinese and Ayungin in the Philippines), which is the largest disputed area between the Philippines and China.
China has been causing friction with neighboring countries, such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei, and the international community including the United States as it claims sovereignty over approximately 90% of the South China Sea.
China drew the South Sea Defense Line around the South China Sea and has militarized the area by constructing artificial islands near the line.