China, Philippines Territorial Claims Trigger Buoy Battle in South China Sea – By Joyce Huang (VOA News) / June 1, 2023
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — In a tit-for-tat move in the evolving dispute over South China Sea sovereignty, China has set up three “navigation beacons” in the maritime region to offset five navigation buoys placed by the Philippines.
The move comes as Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has pursued warmer ties with the United States, including giving the U.S. access to more military bases in the face of China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the area.
China’s Ministry of Transport announced on May 24: “To ensure the safety of ships’ navigation and operations, the South China Sea Navigation Security Center of the Ministry of Transport deployed three navigation beacons in the waters near Irving Reef, Whitsun Reef and Gaven Reef in the Nansha Islands [the Spratly Islands].”
The announcement came after the Philippine Coast Guard said it had set up five nationally flagged buoys from May 10 to 12 in areas within its 322-kilometer exclusive economic zone.
