Take that! Philippines sends China message on contested islands as tussle brews

The Philippines have looked to deter Chinese aggression around islands it claims as its own in the South China Sea by putting up buoys in a show of ownership, as Beijing continues to threaten its sovereignty in the region. 

Five buoys carrying the Filipino flag were set up around the Spratly Islands within its Exclusive Economic Zone according to the Philippine coast guard.

Five areas were claimed by the markers within the 200-mile-long stretch of islands, including along the Whitsun Reef where China moored hundreds of maritime vessels in 2021.

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Ownership over the Spratly Islands – which is made up of nearly two dozen islands and hundreds of reefs – has long been contested with China, Taiwan and Vietnam claiming control of the entirety of the region while the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei lay claim over portions of it. 

However, China’s increasingly hostile attitude in the region prompted Philippine’s President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take action last week to set up the buoys between May 10 -12 to assert Manila’s sovereignty.

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“This move highlights the Philippines’ unwavering resolve to protect its maritime borders and resources and contribute to the safety of maritime trade,” Philippines coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela, said on Twitter.

Manila took similar steps in May 2022 when it installed five navigational buoys around four of the Spratly Islands. 

In recent years, China has attempt to assert control over the internationally-contested islands by deploying hundreds of navy and maritime vessels, as well as building up manmade islands on the reefs by dredging in sand and equipping them with missiles and runways. 

Though China’s claims were invalidated by an international arbitrary ruling in 2016.

Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the Chinese embassy in Manila for comment. 

Reuters contributed to this report.