Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the U.S. plan of sending a navy ship within 22 kilometers (14 miles) of the artificial island in the Spratly islands “would be consistent with international law and a rules-based order for the region.”
It said that it’s important for the international community to safeguard freedom of navigation in the disputed waters.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also warned that “failure to challenge false claims of sovereignty would undermine this order and lead China to the false conclusion that its claims are accepted as a fait accompli.”
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying expressed serious concern last week over the planned U.S. navy deployment. (Eagle News Service)
