Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. U.S. Navy Photo
BEIJING, May 24 (Reuters) – China deployed three navigation beacons around the contested Spratly islands of the South China Sea, following similar marker placements by the Philippines earlier this month, as both sides try to fortify their claims to the area.
China’s Transport Ministry on Wednesday said its South China Sea maritime security center placed the three beacons close to Irving Reef, Whitson Reef, and Gaven Reef of the Spratly islands, which is consisted of many islets, reef banks and shoals.
The beacon placement is to “ensure the safety of ships’ navigation and operations,” it said.
Earlier this month, the Philippines also placed navigational buoys carrying the country’s national flags within its exclusive economic zone, including at the Whitsun Reef, and where hundreds of Chinese ships moored in 2021.
Tensions have heightened recently in contested parts of the South China Sea, one of the world’s most important trade routes.
China has claimed nearly the entire South China Sea as its territory. It is also claimed by Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.
(Reporting by Bernard Orr and Albee Zhang; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023.
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