#Philippine coast guard deployed 3 patrol ship & a light plane to keep watch from a distance on the group of about 100 people who set off from western #Zambales province to assert Manila’s sovereignty over #ScarboroughShoal & surrounding waters.
Overcrowding problem on China’s #ArtificialIslands in the #SouthChinaSea could be solved with tunnels, according to a #Chinese#ocean#engineering project team that says it has developed an excavation method to overcome the limitations of the soft coral sand.
After a rapid expansion of its presence in the contested #Spratly#reef chain that began about a decade ago, #China eased back on construction in recent years in a bid to soothe the nerves of neighbouring countries
In a press conference, #PhilippineCoastGuard presented satellite images of #CoralReefs surrounding Scarborough Shoal. Reefs appeared badly scarred, which the PCG said were caused by #Chinese fishermen searching for giant clams.
"At least seven Chinese crew members of a foreign aggregate carrier were detained by the #Philippines Coast Guard in San Felipe town in this province on Thursday for illegal entry after they failed to present proper documents during an inspection.... Commander Euphraim Jayson Diciano, head of the PCG station in #Zambales, said the Hyperline 988, a vessel registered in #SierraLeone..was being held in the vicinity waters off Barangay Sindol