Philippines Accuses China of Overwhelming Reef in the South China Sea

The Philippines has accused China of having a large number of military boats near Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea. The Philippine Coast Guard said that over 135 boats were spotted in the area, which is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. This increasing presence of military boats has raised concerns for the Philippines. The South China Sea is a disputed territory between China, the Philippines, and other countries. Whitsun Reef, also known as Julian Felipe Reef, is located around 320km west of Palawan Island and over 1,000km away from Hainan Island, the nearest major Chinese landmass. The number of Chinese maritime militia vessels in the area has risen since November, with no response from China. Tensions have increased between the Philippines and China since Ferdinand Marcos Jr became president. Recently, the Philippines conducted joint air and sea patrols with the US and Australia. In 2016, an international tribunal invalidated China's claim to 90% of the South China Sea, but China refuses to acknowledge the ruling and has been building islands in the disputed waters. The contested waters have become a source of conflict between China and the US, and President Joe Biden has pledged to defend the Philippines in case of any attack. These tensions escalated after two collisions between Filipino and Chinese vessels in the waters, and other countries like Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei also claim parts of the sea.