DND reiterates call to China to stop reclamation in West PH Sea | Inquirer News

DND reiterates call to China to stop reclamation in West PH Sea

/ 05:50 PM July 01, 2015

The Department of National Defense has repeated its call to China to stop its reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

“We reiterate that their illegal island building if not stopped only draws the world closer to further uncertainties and untoward incidents with irreparable consequences,” defense spokesperson Peter Paul Galvez said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, China said it completed some of its land reclamation on the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea “in recent days.”

Article continues after this advertisement

In recent months, China has made significant progress in its construction activities in the disputed maritime superhighway, which has raised concern among the neighboring claimants including the Philippines. China has been doing reclamation works on seven reefs, turning it into artificial islands.

FEATURED STORIES

China did not say which areas had been finished.

G7 countries—Germany, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the United States—have also expressed concern on China’s construction activities.

Article continues after this advertisement

“As for the next step, China will begin fulfilling the relevant functions of the facilities,” said China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

Article continues after this advertisement

Galvez said China should “refrain from militarizing the region.”

Article continues after this advertisement

“The Chinese government should refrain from militarizing the region, stop deceiving their constituents and submit to the call of all nations for them to peacefully abide by the internationally accepted rules as stipulated in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he said.

China claims most parts of the West Philippine Sea, believed to be rich in oil and gas.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: China, DND, Reclamation

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.