Tensions are heating up as China makes a strong statement against the enhancement of the Philippines’ military airport in a disputed island in the South China Sea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told China Daily during a regular news conference that the Philippines is taking actions that are not corresponding with its words.
"This has clearly exposed the hypocrisy of the Philippines, since its words are not matched by its deeds," he said, referring to Manila's current attempt to strengthen its military presence on one of the contested islands in the South China Sea.
The two countries have been grappling for jurisdiction over the territory for decades and have yet to resolve any issue even after Manila filed a case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
Illegal Occupation
The spokesperson claimed that the Philippines has been illegally occupying Zhongye Island, which is a part of China's Nansha Islands, since the 1970s.
According to Asia Times, the Philippines, which refers to the said territory as the Pag-Asa Island, has been bringing building materials such as stones and sand as well as several kinds of fuel for the upgrade of an airport situated there.
Beijing claims that Manila has been carrying out large-scale construction in the island which consists of military and civil facilities such as ports, airports and barracks.
Manila's "Hypocrisy"
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu called the Philippines' current move as a sign of the country's "hypocrisy" as it does not match its words.
According to Asia Times, the "words" Lu was referring to was Manila's claims in 2014 and 2015 that its has suspended its planned airport upgrade in Pag-Asa Island.
"The restart of the military airport upgrading project is clearly different from what Manila has claimed publicly in the past," an anonymous source told AT.
The U.S. Hand
While China is complaining about the Philippines' actions, the United States military force are gradually bringing their troops in to "solidify military relationship" with the latter.
According to the New York Times, the U.S. military force was allowed to occupy five Philippine military bases as the western superpower spread its forces all over the country.
The mere presence of the Americans, some analysts believe, could be instrumental in tilting the balance of power in the South China Sea that is obviously on the hand of China.
"The Chinese goal is not to pick a fight. Just the ability to impose any kind of cost, to get any kind of vessel out there on site, forces the Chinese to make a decision about how much they really want to engage in a certain activity," Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies director Gregory B. Poling explained.