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South China Sea
ChinaDiplomacy

Beijing tried to block Philippine military facilities on disputed island ‘over fears US could use them’

  • Concern that new and upgraded facilities on Thitu could be shared with the US, undermining China’s military advantage in the South China Sea
  • Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte demanded Beijing ‘lay off the island’ after it sent about 275 boats there as an apparent warning

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Filipino soldiers stand at attention on Thitu Island in the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters
Zhenhua Lu

China’s deployment of a large fleet of vessels to the Philippines-held Thitu Island in the South China Sea is aimed at blocking the country’s construction of military facilities on the disputed island in the Spratly chain because it is concerned that the United States will be able to use such facilities, diplomatic observers said.

The two countries have been involved in a diplomatic stand-off over an increased presence of about 275 Chinese vessels near Thitu island from January to March.

The flare-up coincided with the two-week US-Philippines annual Balikatan exercise, which is taking place until Friday.

The US sent an amphibious assault ship – the USS Wasp, capable of carrying fighter jets such as the F-35B – to join the drills for the first time. They were held near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, seized by China from the Philippines in 2012.

In December, the Philippine government announced that a new beaching ramp on Thitu was under construction and that it had plans for military barracks and runway repairs.

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