The Philippines' government said late Saturday that about 220 Chinese fishing boats had massed around a coral reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in early March, saying they were within its exclusive economic zone.

The government suspects the boats were mobilized by Chinese maritime militias. The islands are claimed by China and the Philippines, among other nations.

The fishing boats were spotted in formation in waters around the reef about 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza on Palawan Island in the western Philippines on March 7, according to the government.

Photo taken March 7, 2021 shows Chinese fishing boats in the South China Sea. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine government)(Kyodo)

The boats did not engage in fishing even though the weather was fine and they kept their lights on at night, the government said. The behavior could be seen as an attempt to assert territorial claims.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed concern over the boats' presence in a statement on Sunday, calling on China to stop encroaching in the Philippines' sovereign territory and immediately recall ships that he said are violating its maritime rights.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Twitter the Philippines would lodge a diplomatic protest with China over the boats' presence only if the military advises him to do so.

It is believed that Chinese maritime militias are organized by fishermen and residents of remote islands, with them engaging in activities meant to defend China's maritime interests. Little is known about them, however.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has overlapping territorial claims with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.


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