JAKARTA - The Philippines approved the US proposal to build a military ship maintenance facility in Palawan province, which is located near the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
"The ship's maintenance facility is not a military base ... The project is approved by the Philippine government in accordance with all applicable US and Philippine local rules and regulations," US Embassy spokesman Glenda Wallace was quoted as saying by the Philippine news agency (PNA) as reported by ANTARA from Sputnik-OANA, Wednesday, July 16.
The US Naval Facilities Engineering System Command has issued a public request for the design and construction of new maintenance facilities for Philippine military ships in the country's territory.
The construction of new facilities at the Philippine naval base in Ulugan Bay, Palawan Province, does not involve the construction of a separate military base -- the base will serve for repair and maintenance of small military vessels, the spokesman said.
The facility will include two multifunctional buildings for equipment storage and conferences.
Wallace reiterated that all US military activities in the Philippines "are carried out in full coordination with our Philippine allies."
Territorial disputes occurred between China and the Philippines, as well as other countries, over the sovereignty of several islands in the South China Sea, where significant hydrocarbon reserves were found.
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The dispute concerns the islands of Xisha (Paracel Islands), Nansha (Spratly Islands), and Huangyan (Dangkalan Scarborough), which are located at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Ocean shipping lines and rich in oil and gas.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled Beijing's claim to be invalid and granted Philippine protests regarding its exclusive economic zone. China did not participate in the process.
The situation in the region is often complicated by US naval ship traffic, which China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says violates international law and weakens sovereignty and security.
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