South China Sea: Philippines deploy bizarre new tactic to push back Beijing claim on Thitu

The country is looking at inviting tourists to its biggest and most strategically important outpost in the disputed sea. Thitu Island, also known as Pagasa, is in the midst of major upgrades to its dilapidated facilities as it plays catch-up with China and Vietnam. The two countries have been developing facilities on islands they either occupy or have built from scratch on top of submerged reefs.

Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said: “We are on track in rebuilding or repairing our runway in Pagasa.

“Plus, in the future, we will be building structures for our troops there and maybe some hotels for Filipinos who would like to go there as tourists.”

A beaching ramp is being created to allow construction materials and heavy equipment to be moved to the 37-hectare (91-acre) island, home to a handful of soldiers and small a civilian population, who live on government subsidies.

Also being built is a sheltered port for bigger fishing vessels, coastguard boats and navy ships, said National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon.

READ MORE: South China Sea warning: Beijing to starve the Philippines

Mr Esperon said: “We have not abandoned any island, no island was taken from us since 2016 and we are strengthening our positions and possession.”

In the Spratlys, the Philippines occupies nine features, Malaysia controls five, Taiwan has one and Vietnam 27, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

By comparison, China’s Subi Reef is a fortress, just 14 nautical miles away from Thitu, housing about 400 individual buildings.

The reef is far more than China’s other six manmade islands in the Spratlys, three of which are equipped with radar, hangars, runways and surface-to-air missiles.

In his annual address to the nation on Monday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte cited those missiles as reasons not to provoke China in what was a spirited defence of his controversial policy of not challenging its maritime activities.

China claims it has historic right of ownership to almost the entire South China Sea, despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling that said that claim had no legal basis under international law.

The sea is a vital trade route with more than $3trillion (£2.4trillion) in ship-borne trade passing through it every year.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims to parts of it.

source: express.co.uk