Manila is considering legal action against China for the alleged destruction of coral reefs within the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the disputed South China Sea.
Manila has accused Beijing of causing environmental damage at Iroquois Reef in the Spratly Islands and is currently assessing the extent of the damage.
China has accused the Philippines of attempting to “create political drama“.
Manila and Beijing have increasingly clashed this year over the South China Sea, with Manila accusing the Chinese coastguard of engaging in “dangerous maneuvers” around Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea under its controversial nine-dash line and has been constructing artificial islands on rocky outcrops and islets, some of which have been transformed into military outposts. It has also deployed its coastguard, fishing fleets, and maritime militia to the disputed waters, which are also claimed in whole or in part by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
In 2012, after a prolonged standoff, Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines, prompting Manila to initiate legal proceedings with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague.
Source from www.aljazeera.com