[International] Philippines Military Monitors Suspicious Platform to Prevent China from Building on Scarborough Shoal

Chinese marine survey vessels were recently photographed towing a suspicious floating platform in the lagoon of Scarborough Shoal (also known as Demchao Reef in Taiwan). The Philippine military is closely monitoring and collecting evidence, emphasizing that they will not allow a repeat of the incident in the 1990s when China built artificial islands under the guise of constructing fishing shelters. Philippine security agencies recently observed that China appears to have deployed a floating platform, possibly equipped with antennas, at the entrance of the Scarborough Shoal lagoon. External speculation suggests it might be involved in hydrographic surveys, widening navigation channels, or even planning the construction of docks or mooring facilities. During a regular press conference today (16th), Philippine Navy spokesperson Marissa Martinez stated that various external interpretations of China's intentions remain speculative. However, she stressed that the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling confirmed the Philippines' rights in the relevant waters. The military will continue to monitor developments around Scarborough Shoal and submit collected evidence and data to relevant government agencies as a basis for future decisions. When asked about specific follow-up measures by the military, Martinez responded that due to security considerations, she could not disclose details. The South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently published a statement claiming that the floating platform mentioned by the Philippine side was constructed by a Chinese scientific research team to study the evolution and ecological resilience of the Scarborough Shoal sea area. Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela posted a video on Facebook yesterday showing the Chinese marine survey vessel "Yuezhanyu Ke 6" towing the suspicious floating platform in the Scarborough Shoal lagoon. Tarriela wrote that by exposing China's actions, the Philippines is informing the international community that China is once again violating the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Philippines will not tolerate "bullies" acting with impunity. Meanwhile, Philippine military Public Affairs Office chief Xerxes Trinidad pointed out that information collected from any marine research activity could potentially be used for military purposes, hence the Philippine military's high level of attention. Regarding external speculation that the Chinese facility might be equipped with an echo sounder for hydrographic surveys, Trinidad stated that the military is unwilling to speculate without complete evidence but emphasized that the Philippines will continue to monitor the situation. Trinidad reiterated that the Philippines will not allow a repeat of the Mischief Reef incident from the 1990s. In 1994, China began constructing "fishing shelter facilities" at Mischief Reef. The Philippines discovered this and lodged a diplomatic protest the following year. China initially claimed it was merely a "simple fishing shed" that Philippine fishermen could also use, but it ultimately developed Mischief Reef into an artificial island with an airport runway, harbor, and military facilities. (Editor: Chen Wen-wei)