MANILA—The Philippine military on Friday reported an “alarming” increase in the number of Chinese fishing vessels in disputed waters in the South China Sea, which it said threatens the security of the oil and gas-rich Reed Bank.
From only a dozen in February, the number of Chinese fishing vessels “swarming” in Iroquois reef, just south of the Reed Bank, has risen to 47 as of last month, according to the military’s Western Command (WESCOM).
“China must cease its swarming of vessels to respect our sovereign rights,” Ariel Coloma, spokesperson for the Western Command, said in a statement.
The Philippines won a landmark arbitration case in 2016 that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, where about $3 trillion worth of sea-borne goods pass every year….