Philippine Military Commander Says His Country Will Build Islands in the South China Sea

JAKARTA - The Philippines will build islands in the South China Sea which it considers part of its territory, to make them more habitable for the country's military, said Philippine Military Commander General Romeo Brawner Jr. Monday.

The plan comes amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China, over territorial claims in the South China Sea and exchanging accusations of aggressiveness in the region.

Apart from the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Beting Ayungin, the Philippines occupies eight other areas in the South China Sea and considers them part of its exclusive economic zone.

"We want to improve the nine islands, especially the islands we occupy," said General Brawner after attending a briefing led by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as reported by Reuters, January 15.

Its features include Thitu Island, the largest and most strategically important island in the South China Sea. Known locally as Pag-asa, Thitu is located about 300 miles (480 km) west of Palawan Province, Philippines.

He further said that the military wanted to provide desalination machines for soldiers living on a warship that the Philippines deliberately ran aground on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert its claim to sovereignty.

Also included in the military modernization plan is the acquisition of more ships, radars and aircraft, as the Philippines shifts its focus to territorial defense from internal defense, General Brawner said.

It is known that apart from the Philippines, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam are also competing to claim sovereignty in the South China Sea, which is a shipping route for goods worth more than 3 trillion US dollars every year.