Manila Philippines – The Chinese government has strongly denied the reclamation of the Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, following a report by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) regarding the alleged artificial island in the region.
In a statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the Philippines is only accusing China.
According to China, the Philippines is irresponsible and is only confusing the international community regarding China’s activities.
“… the accusation of “China’s reclamation” at Xianbin Jiao is sheer rumor spread by the Philippines, which is an irresponsible claim designed to vilify China and mislead the international community,” Wang said in a press conference on Monday, May 13, 2024 .
The Philippine Coast Guard reported the destruction of reefs in part of Escoda Shoal, which it said is clear that China is starting to build an artificial Island.
According to PCG Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela, it cannot be denied that China is not following environmental laws in the ocean.
“China cannot simply dismiss these findings as disinformation, as we have documented the presence of their vessels in the area. It is widely known that China is the only country in the region that disregards environmental concerns,” said Tarriela in his post on X | Twitter.
See post here: https://twitter.com/jaytaryela/status/1790149064459440256
In the latest PCG report, the agency has more than 30 Chinese Maritime Militia Vessels, three Chinese Coast Guard Vessels, three Peoples Liberation Army Navy Warships and three research vessels in Escoda Shoal.