MANILA, Philippines – China is working double time on their reclamation projects in the South China Sea in order to complete their expansion agenda before the arbitration case is concluded, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.
“DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario has mentioned that these activities are now being hastened in anticipation of the arbitral decision and the conclusion of the legally binding Code of Conduct,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a briefing Friday.
“That’s why they are trying to actualize or realize their expansionist agenda in the South China Sea before these two things happen,” he said.
Japanese news agency NHK recently reported that China has built military facilities on several disputed reefs in the Spratly Group of Islands where they have done land reclamation.
They showed aerial photographs obtained from Philippine military sources showing the development of helicopter landing pads, radar facilities, and even machine gun platforms.