Foreign Secretary Teddy Locsin Jnr says there are now 300 Chinese boats in the disputed waters, up from 200 in March
His remarks came as the armed forces chief said the Philippines was on track to build facilities on Thitu island to boost the efforts of the maritime forces
The Philippines’ Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr on Wednesday said he was considering filing another diplomatic protest against China after it added more ships in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying the vessels in the contested waters had “increased” to almost 300 from just over 200 in March.
He said he would take the issue up with his counterpart, adding a protest was “essential because you never let any incident pass”, he told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday.
Locsin’s comments came after armed forces chief General Cirilito Sobejana on Monday said the Philippines was on track to build facilities on Thitu island that would allow ships to refuel and resupply and sailors to rest, increasing the effectivity of the country’s maritime forces.