President Rodrigo Duterte has told the Chinese ambassador that the Philippines was concerned about the large number of Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef and reasserted the international arbitral tribunal’s 2016 ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea. Ambassador Huang Xilian explained that the vessels belonged to fishermen who were just “seeking refuge from bad weather” at the reef, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday. Roque did not say when Mr. Duterte met Huang, but he announced on Tuesday that the President would talk to the Chinese ambassador about the presence of the Chinese vessels at the reef, which is well within the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Salaverria, L. B., & Cabalza, D. (2021, March 26). Rody to Sino envoy: We're concerned about your ships. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A4.