美智庫爆：菲律賓在南海填海造陸 遭中國近百艘船艦包圍 自由20190208

【Comment】

The Philippines is expanding the facilities of the Thitu Island, the second largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands occupied by the Philippines since 1971. 

The engineering would allow ships with deeper drafts to deliver supplies directly onto the island, rather than the current process of offloading onto smaller boats in order to ferry supplies over the reef.  The work is to be completed in early 2019.

However, China threatened the Philippines by sending some 100 ships, including PLAN Type 053H1G (Jianghu V-class) frigate and a CCG Type 818 (Zhaoduan-class) cutter, the coast Guard vessels, fishing boats, known as the Little Blue Men for a period of time.  Will China capture the island by physical forces?

China has lost her legitimate stance to protest the Philippines when she established the artificial islands there since 2013.

That is the way international law is formed, and works.  You just can not do whatever you like.

UNDER PRESSURE: PHILIPPINE CONSTRUCTION PROVOKES A PARAMILITARY RESPONSE

美智庫爆：菲律賓在南海填海造陸 遭中國近百艘船艦包圍    自由20190208

南海近年來已成為台灣、中國、美國及多個東南海國家角力戰場。菲律賓總統杜特蒂雖立場親中，但美國智庫指出，菲國在其中一座爭議島嶼填海造陸時，曾被近百艘中國船艦包圍。

美國智庫「亞洲海事透明倡議組織」（Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, AMTI）網站指出，菲國防部長洛倫札那（Delfin Lorenzana）4日宣布，他們在中業島的填海造陸作業將於2019年初完成。

AMTI出示衛星影像，指中國自去年7月開始，從距離中業島西南方12海浬處的渚碧礁派出艦隊「回應」菲律賓，當中包括解放軍海軍陸戰隊和中國人民武裝警察部隊海警總隊船艦，以及配數十艘30至70公尺大小的漁船。

衛星照顯示，包圍中業島的中國軍民混合艦隊在12月3日上升至24艘，同月20日甚至達到95艘，直到1月26日才減為42艘。洛倫札那去年11月曾提到，中國駐菲大使曾呼籲當局取消在中業島的工程。

中業島是南沙群島第二大天然島。中華民國海軍1971年因躲避颱風暫時撤離，菲律賓軍隊趁機攻占，中華民國政府當時認為不宜反擊，讓該島至今由菲律賓實質占領，但中華民國、中華人民共和國皆宣稱擁有主權。