According to Al Jazeera, the Philippines accused China's coastguard on Saturday of deploying water cannons to stop its ships from delivering food, water, fuel, and other supplies to its military soldiers stationed at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
Hang emphasised that Vietnam has sufficient legal grounds and historical evidence testifying sovereignty over Spratly and Paracels in accordance with international law, as per Vietnam News.
China's construction of artificial islands in the Spratlys, initially promised to be non-militarized, soon revealed a different truth. These islands now boast airstrips, harbours, radar stations, anti-aircraft guns, anti-ship cruise missiles, and long-range surface-to-air missiles.
As a Philippine Coast Guard plane carrying journalists flew over the Spratly Islands in Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, a Chinese voice issued a command over the radio: "Leave immediately", Taipei Times reported.
The incident took place in contested waters of South China last week. The PCG vessel was supporting a rotation and resupply mission of the Philippine Navy in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea in the Spratly Islands chain, known in China as the Nansha Islands, China cal
China's hegemonic desires in the South China Sea have resulted in a significant downfall in the relations between Manila and Beijing with increased hostilities, reported The HK Post.
The court decision went against the deal state-owned companies from the three nations signed the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JSMU), which allowed them to jointly explore for oil near waters surrounding the disputed Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea.
Since 2010, China has been converting uninhabited islets into artificial islets to bring them under UNCLOS. China has been changing the size and structure of the reefs by modifying their physical land features. It has also established airstrips on Parcel and Spratly.
Satellite images from US officials show new land formations around the Spratly Islands. A Chinese vessel with a hydraulic excavator has been seen operating near the islands.
This comes a few days after China's alleged reclamation activities in features of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, parts of which Manila terms as the West Philippine Sea.
Philippines officials are condemning China over debris showdown and boats massing in the South China Sea. Footage from local TV station GMA-7 aired on Wednesday showed several Chinese vessels still lingering around Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal.
Chinese analysts describe these bases - 20 outposts in the Paracel Islands (of which Woody Island is the largest) and seven in the more southerly Spratly Islands - as "unsinkable aircraft carriers". China has had jurisdiction over the Paracel Islands only in the latter half of the last centu