The Philippines has launched formal diplomatic protests against China after discovering what officials call an unauthorized floating installation in contested South China Sea waters, according to the country’s maritime task force announcement on Tuesday.
Officials confirmed finding a 6-by-6 meter floating platform equipped with what looks like an antenna system at the disputed Scarborough Shoal, a key flashpoint between the two nations.
“The Philippine government will continue to take appropriate actions consistent with international law and in defense of the country’s national interests,” the task force declared in an official statement, emphasizing that safeguarding Manila’s sovereignty and jurisdiction “remains a paramount consideration.”
Military imagery revealed the installation was first detected at the shoal’s entrance before moving into the interior lagoon area, with evidence suggesting the platform was occupied by personnel, the task force reported.
While the task force didn’t specify when the photographs were captured, Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro mentioned during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 30 that he had obtained preliminary intelligence about the structure’s presence at the shoal.
Officials said they are continuously tracking the situation and evaluating the installation’s characteristics, objectives and possible consequences, maintaining that Scarborough “is part of the Philippines and within its maritime zones as recognised by international law.”
Reuters satellite imagery from June 5 verified the structure’s existence at the lagoon entrance, though subsequent images indicated it had been removed from that location.
The shoal serves as an important fishing area situated 200 km (124 miles) from the country’s western shoreline, while being 874 km distant from China’s closest territory, Hainan.
Chinese coastguard vessels and maritime militia have maintained a continuous presence in these waters since 2012.
While ownership of Scarborough, known to China as Huangyan Island, remains unresolved, a 2016 international arbitration panel ruled predominantly in the Philippines’ favor, determining that China’s blockade of the area breached international law and recognizing it as traditional fishing waters for multiple nations.
