China took control of Scarborough shoal in 2012 after a standoff with the Philippine Navy and has since deployed large fishing fleets while blocking Filipino fishermen (AFP).
Vientiane — Beijing’s “illegal” island building in the South China Sea moved center stage at an Asian summit Wednesday after the Philippines produced evidence it said showed fresh construction activity at a flashpoint shoal.
An artificial island at Scarborough Shoal could be a game changer in China’s quest to control the sea and raises the risk of armed confrontation with the United States, according to security analysts.
Beijing this week insisted it had not started building at the shoal — a move that could lead to a military outpost just 230 kilometers from the main Philippine island, where US forces are stationed.
But the Philippines on Wednesday released images it said showed Chinese ships in the area that were capable of dredging sand and other activities required to build an artificial island.
“We have reason to believe that their presence is a precursor to building activities on the shoal,” defense department spokesman Arsenio Andolong told AFP.
“We are continuing our surveillance and monitoring of their presence and activities, which are disturbing.”
China claims nearly all of the sea, through which $5 trillion in shipping trade passes annually, even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations.
The competing territorial claims have long been a major source of tension in the region, with China using deadly force twice to seize control of islands from Vietnam.
Tensions have escalated sharply in recent years as China has built islands on reefs and islets in the Spratlys archipelago — another strategically important location — that are capable of supporting military operations.
The United States has reacted to that buildup by sailing warships close to the new islands and sending warplanes over them.
This has deeply angered China, which has accused the Americans of “militarising the region,” and raised concerns of armed conflict between the two world powers.