MANILA, July 7 (Reuters) - The Philippine military on Friday reported an "alarming" increase in the number of Chinese fishing vessels in disputed waters in the South China Sea, which it said threatens the security of the oil and gas-rich Reed Bank.
"China must cease its swarming of vessels to respect our sovereign rights," Ariel Coloma, spokesperson for the Western Command, said in a statement.
The Philippines won a landmark arbitration case in 2016 that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, where about $3 trillion worth of sea-borne goods pass every year.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Philippine counterpart, Gilbert Teodoro, on Thursday that the U.S. commitment to the defense of its ally was "ironclad," including in the South China Sea, according to a U.S. summary of the call.
The Philippines on Wednesday accused the China Coast Guard of harassment, obstruction and "dangerous manoeuvres" against its vessels, after another incident near a strategic feature of the South China Sea.
Persons:
Ariel Coloma, WESCOM, Lloyd Austin, Gilbert Teodoro, Karen Lema, Robert Birsel
Organizations:
Philippine, Reed Bank, Western Command, The Philippines, PXP Energy Corp, China Coast Guard, U.S . Defense, Thomson
Locations:
MANILA, South China, China, Manila, States, Philippine, Sabina, Philippines