BEIJING:
China has denied it is increasing combat
readiness in response to a territorial row with the Philippines over a disputed
shoal in the South China Sea.
The
tense stand-off, which erupted last month, centres on Scarborough Shoal, a tiny
rocky outcrop in the South China Sea about 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the
Philippines' main island of Luzon.
The
dispute began when Philippine authorities detected Chinese ships fishing there.
They attempted to arrest the crew, but were blocked by Chinese surveillance
vessels that were quickly deployed to the area.
China's
defence ministry denied military units were getting ready for war, despite
warnings in state media that China is prepared to fight to end the stand-off.
"Reports
that the Guangzhou military region, the South China Sea fleet and other units
have entered a state of war preparedness are untrue," the ministry said in
a brief statement on its website on Friday.
The
Guangzhou military region in southern China has responsibility for the area.
It gave
no source for the reports, but rumours on the Internet say China has ordered
some military units up to level two of its four-level scale of war
preparedness, one notch from the top which indicates full readiness.
The two
nations have had non-military vessels stationed at the shoal since April 8 in
an effort to assert their sovereignty to the area.
China
claims virtually all of the South China Sea, which is believed to sit atop huge
oil and gas reserves, as its historical territory, even waters close to the
coasts of other Asian countries.
The
Philippines says the shoal is part of its territory because it falls within its
exclusive economic zone.
On
Friday, around 300 protestors demonstrated outside the Chinese embassy in the
Philippines to denounce "bullying" by Beijing.
A
Chinese state-backed newspaper on Saturday accused the Philippines of whipping
up nationalism through the protest, but it added military conflict in the South
China Sea was possible.
Taiwan,
Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia also claim parts of the sea. The rival claims have
for decades made the waters one of Asia's potential military flashpoints.
"Nationalism
seems to echo just as strongly wherever you go around the South China Sea. The
Philippines is showing prominent such behaviour," the Global Times said in
an editorial.
"It
remains possible that military conflicts will ensue in the South China Sea, and
when that happens China will certainly take firm action," it added.
Chinese
authorities also this week ordered tour operators to suspend trips to the
Philippines.
-
AFP/al
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