FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
China held naval and air drills on November 13 near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, an uninhabited reef area claimed by the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Days ago, China published new lines for this part, including geographic coordinates.
Tensions between China and the Philippines have risen over claims to the Scarborough Shoal and other parts of the South China Sea. There have also been clashes in these areas, as the Chinese Coast Guard has thrown water cannons at Philippine ships.
"This is a patrol activity that was carried out by marine troops, based on the law," the Chinese military's central command said in a statement.
China took over the shoal, located west of the Philippines' Luzon island, in 2012 and has not allowed Philippine fishermen to fish in the area since then. In 2016, the International Court of Arbitration found most of China's claims to the South China Sea to be untenable, but Beijing has refused to abide by the ruling.
The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines has invited the Chinese ambassador to Manila to protest the new definition of territory made by China around the shoal.
The Philippines said the new lines lie within the country's territory and violate international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
Last week, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed two laws to reaffirm the state's territories and right of access to natural resources, including in the South China Sea, a move that angered China.
China claims that this entire sea belongs to it, but the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and other governments also have territorial claims for it./ REL
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