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Beijing [China]Dec 30 (ANI): China has been carrying out reclamation activities in uninhabited areas of the Spratly Islands such as Eldad Reef, Whitsun Reef, Lankiam Cay and Sandy Cay, the Hong Kong Post reported.
The Spratly Islands are an archipelago located off the southern coast of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam in the South China Sea.
Satellite imagery by U.S. officials shows new land formations around the Spratly Islands. A Chinese vessel equipped with a hydraulic excavator was seen working near the islands.
China occupies seven islands and reefs in the Spratly Islands. The country has been militarizing them with runways, ports and radar systems. The islands, believed to be rich in natural gas and mineral deposits, are all owned by China and some by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Read also | Chinese fighter jets intercept US military plane ‘unsafe maneuver’ in South China Sea.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has expressed concern over China’s activities in the Spratly Islands. It noted that such activities by China violated the Declaration of Commitment to Self-Restraint in the South China Sea and the 2016 arbitral award.
“Amid reports of Chinese vessels swarming near the Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoals in the Spratly Islands, the United States also voiced its support for the Philippines, issuing a statement that reportedly escalated the swarming of Chinese vessels As far as disrupting the livelihoods of Filipino fishing communities, it also reflects the continued disregard for other South China Sea (SCS) claimants and countries that operate legally in the region,” the Hong Kong Post reported.
“The U.S. State Department supports the Philippines’ call for China to abide by international law in the South China Sea, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Hague Arbitration Institution ruling that rejected China’s broad claims to the disputed waters,” the report said. “
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said the report was groundless. He accused the United States of creating problems among claimants, including the Philippines.
In 2022, China sent a total of 193 notes verbales (non-verbal notes) to the Philippines. However, Beijing continues to violate Philippine sovereignty in the South China Sea, which in turn affects peace and stability in the region.
A Chinese fighter jet made an unsafe maneuver after coming within 20 feet of a U.S. military aircraft over the South China Sea on Thursday, The Hill reported, citing sources from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
A Chinese Navy J-11 jet pilot was shot down Thursday, according to a news release from the command that coordinates U.S. military operations in the region.
It said it “performed an unsafe maneuver while flying in front of and within 20 feet of the nose of the US Air Force RC-135 aircraft,” which forced the US aircraft to “take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision”.
The command said the U.S. aircraft was “lawfully conducting routine operations” in international airspace, The Hill reported. (Arnie)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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