Philippines accuses China of destroying coral reefs near Palawan, miffed Beijing reacts

Amid the rising tensions in the highly contentious South China Sea, the Philippines accused China’s “shadowy maritime militia” of destroying the vibrant coral reefs near Palawan. On Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard shared a video in which a vast patch of bleached corals was seen along the Rozul (Iroquois) Reef and Sabina (Escoda) Shoal in the South China Sea. Both reefs are near Palawan, the Philippines’ southwestern island chain fronting the South China Sea. However, Beijing has vehemently rejected the accusation, setting up another issue between the two nations. 

The issue becomes intense since the underwater region features within the country’s internationally recognised exclusive economic zone (EEZ). However, Beijing claims most of the large strategic waterway as its own territory despite competing claims. “The continued swarming for the indiscriminate illegal and destructive fishing activities of the Chinese Maritime Militia in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal may have directly caused the degradation and destruction of the marine environment in the [West Philippine Sea] features,” Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a statement. He noted that the “visible discolouration” of the water indicates that “deliberate activities” were conducted to modify the natural topography of the terrain .“The presence of crushed corals strongly suggests a potential act of dumping, possibly involving the same dead corals that were previously processed and cleaned before being returned to the seabed,” Tarriela added.

China rejects the allegations

In light of this, Chinese authorities reacted to the allegations on Thursday and called the accusations “false and groundless”. “The relevant allegations of the Philippine side are false and groundless,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters at a regular press briefing. “We advise the Philippine authorities not to utilize fabricated information to stage a political farce,” she added.

Over the last two decades, China has occupied a number of reefs and atolls across the South China Sea. Beijing even went on to build up military installations, including runways and ports, challenging the sovereignty of the Philippines. According to CNN, the matter was addressed at the International Court of Justice in 2016. At that time the International Tribunal Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines concluding that China had no legal basis to impose its claim in the area. However, the Monday incident indicates that Beijing did not pay heed to the court’s decision.