Late last week, the Philippine Coast Guard said that about 200 vessels, believed to be part of the Chinese maritime militia, were seen attached in a line formation in the Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea.
The Philippines has spotted unknown structures installed on a series of reefs in the South China Sea, where “a flotilla” of Chinese fishing vessels, allegedly manned by militias, was earlier tracked by Manila.
The Philippine military said on Thursday that the structures were tracked during maritime patrols conducted earlier this week. The military did not give any details related to the structures, only stressing that their installation runs counter to international law.
This comes after the Philippine Coast Guard said late last week that they had tracked about 200 vessels, believed to be part of the Chinese maritime “militia”, a non-military voluntary force, near the Whitsun Reef.
Manila lodged a diplomatic protest over the issue and demanded these vessels leave the area. Beijing, in turn, denied the Philippines' allegations, claiming that China has no maritime “militia” abroad.
US, Philippines Alarmed Over Alleged Presence of Chinese Militia Ships Near Whitsun Reef
The White House has, meanwhile, stated that the US and the Philippines voiced concern over the alleged presence of Chinese maritime “militia” vessels near the disputed Whitsun Reef, reaffirming that Washington considers the…
