Philippines warns of consequences of China's militarization of the East Sea

The Philippines said yesterday (August 14) that the international community should be concerned about China's militarization of disputed areas in the East Sea, describing it as "the worst phase of all".

"This is a stage of militarization and it needs to be stopped, otherwise it will push the entire region, including the peace-loving Chinese communities, into a deeper, irreversible crisis," Peter Paul Galvez, spokesman for the Philippine Department of National Defense, said yesterday.

China's illegal construction of artificial islands in an area of ​​Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago in the East Sea. Photo: EPA

Mr. Galvez's comments came after Zhao Jianhua, China's ambassador to the Philippines, announced this week that Beijing would set up facilities on the artificial islands to support freedom of navigation, search and rescue efforts and scientific research.

The Philippine Department of National Defense believes that China's plan to set up search and rescue facilities is a cover for its military buildup and that these facilities are simply elements of its militarization and island-building activities that "must be stopped and destroyed."

"Once again, this is something we have been warning the international community about. It is now very clear that the Chinese leadership does not want to honor its commitment to the ASEAN Declaration on the Conduct of Parties. They say one thing and do another," GMA News quoted Mr. Galvez as saying.

According to VNE