MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines' top diplomat once again asked China to pull out its vessels in Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef after Beijing said it does not intend to maintain a permanent presence in the area.
China's foreign ministry maintained its position that the vessels spotted in the coral reef off the coast of Bataraza, Palawan were just fishing vessels and not maritime militia.
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"Then tell them to move out. All of them. If they're really fishing the fish are all gone; they're just fouling the water with waste. Nobody fishes by lashing ships together," Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted Wednesday night.
Then tell them to move out. All of them. If they’re really fishing the fish are all gone; they’re just fouling the water with waste. Nobody fishes by lashing ships together. Last time that was done was the Persian invasion of Greece recorded by Herodotus. We’ve seen the movie. https://t.co/2H121qMIlf
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 7, 2021
On Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs started filing daily diplomatic protests against the continued presence of Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea.
The DFA earlier said the Philippines will lodge a diplomatic protest "for every day of delay."
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea initially confirmed that 220 Chinese vessels, believed to be part of China's maritime militia, were sighted moored in the waters of Julian Felipe Reef.
The DFA has since filed a diplomatic protest but Chinese vessels still remain in the area and have dispersed to other features in the West Philippine Sea.
As of March 29, 44 Chinese boats remain in Julian Felipe Reef while 115 Chinese militia ships were seen in Chigua (Kennan), 45 in Pag-asa (Thitu) Island and 50 others dispersed in Panganiban (Mischief), Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) and Zamora (Subi) Reefs.
'Wanton hype-up'
China, meanwhile, urged the Philippines to stop its allegations and insisted that Julian Felipe Reef, which they call Niu'e Jiao, is part of its Nansha (Spratly) Islands.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian accused Philippine authorities of showing "malicious intent" by referring to Chinese fishermen as maritime militia.
"We hope the Philippines will look at this objectively and correctly, immediately stop wanton hype-up, and avoid casting negative influence on bilateral relations and the overall peace and stability in the South China Sea," Zhao said in a press briefing last Tuesday.
Zhao further claimed that the award in the South China Sea arbitration, which favored the Philippines, is "illegal, null and void."
Beijing said it will continue to oppose any action or claims based on the arbitral ruling that invalidated its expansive claims in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.
"The Philippines attempts to use an illegal, null and void award to negate China's sovereignty, rights and interests, negate Chinese fishermen's fishing history and rights in their traditional fishing grounds in the Nansha Islands which have been continued for as long as a thousand of years," Zhao said.