MANILA: Defence chief Gilberto Teodoro (pic) on Friday (Dec 15) said China is attempting to convert the entire China sea into its own lake.
To back his statement, Teodoro noted China’s use of massive coast guard vessels while navigating Philippine waters is a testament to its attempt to enforce domestic presence in the whole South China Sea.
“China is trying to [unilaterally change] the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and international law by letting other countries submit [to] the unilateral claim of the whole South China Sea as its internal waters,” said Teodoro in an interview over ANC.
“Meaning to say, it’s converting the South China Sea into a lake of China,” he observed.
“And that is why it’s using coast guard vessels which are huge and massive — equivalent to naval vessels – to enforce domestic and criminal Chinese law in the whole South China sea,” he explained.
In relation to Teodoro’s statement, maritime security expert Ray Powell earlier disclosed at least 11 Chinese maritime militia vessels were sailing in Ayungin Shoal. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
