Title: Philippines Concerned About Increase of Chinese Ships in South China Sea

The Philippine military reported on Friday that "there is a concerning increase in the number of Chinese fishing vessels in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, which it says threatens the security of the oil and gas-rich Reed Bank area." The Western Command of the military stated that the number of Chinese fishing vessels "gathered" in the area directly south of Reed Bank has risen from only 12 in February to 47 last month. Western Command spokesman Ariel Coloma said in a statement, "China must stop its ship gathering to respect our sovereign rights." The Western Command added, "These developments raise concerns about China's intentions and actions within these disputed waters." The Philippines accused the Chinese Coast Guard on Wednesday of harassing and obstructing its vessels and carrying out "dangerous maneuvers" against them, following another incident near one of the strategic landmarks in the South China Sea.