Manila tells Beijing: “Desist and leave”
Philippine military tells China to get out of the Spratly Islands.
Tensions in the South China sea are hotting up as the Philippines begins to push back against Chinese incursions into her exclusive economic zone.
A large flotilla of Chinese militia vessels sparked a stand off between the two countries when it anchored in the Spratly Islands in March. In response, Manila has launched an eight-vessel exercise near contested land features in the region, which has drawn Beijing’s ire.
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said: “China enjoys sovereignty over [the Spratly Islands] including [Thitu Island] and . . . [Scarborough Shoal] and their adjacent waters, and exercises jurisdiction in relevant waters.”
The Philippines Department of Defence responded with a stronger statement saying that it is “[Chinese forces] who are encroaching and should desist and leave.”
