MANILA, March 21 (Reuters) - The Philippines expressed
concern about hundreds of Chinese military vessels it said were
spotted this month in the disputed South China Sea, the latest
example of tension in the crucial waterway.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that some 220 vessels,
believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel,
were seen moored in line formation at a reef on March 7, a
cross-government task force said late on Saturday.
Foreign minister Teodoro Locsin, asked whether he would file
a diplomatic protest over the ships' presence, told a journalist
on Twitter: "Only if the generals tell me. In my watch foreign
policy is the fist in the iron glove of the armed forces."
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea
expressed concern about overfishing and destruction of the
marine environment, as well as risks to safety of navigation.
China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a
request for comment on Sunday, and calls to the Chinese embassy
in Manila seeking comment went unanswered.
An international tribunal in 2016 invalidated China's claim
to 90% of the South China Sea, but Beijing does not recognise
the ruling. China in recent years has built islands in the
disputed waters, putting air strips on some of them.
Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei all
claim parts of the sea.
In January, the Philippines protested a new Chinese law
allowing its coastguard to fire on foreign vessels, describing
it as a "threat of war". The United States has repeatedly denounced what it called
China's attempts to bully neighbours with competing interests,
while Beijing has criticised Washington for what it calls
interference in its internal affairs.
The Chinese vessels were at the Julian Felipe Reef, also
called Whitsun Reef, in Manila's exclusive economic zone, the
task force said, describing the site as "a large
boomerang-shaped shallow coral reef at the northeast of
Pagkakaisa Banks and Reefs."
"Despite clear weather at the time, the Chinese vessels
massed at the reef showed no actual fishing activities and had
their full white lights turned on during night time," it said in
a statement.
The Philippines vowed to monitor the situation and "to
peacefully and proactively pursue its initiatives on
environmental protection, food security and freedom of
navigation" in the South China Sea.