Malacañang is banking on its friendship with China to convince the Asian power to pull its vessels out of Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea, even as it urged the public to allow President Duterte to address the issue. Last month, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea revealed that more than 200 Chinese ships were spotted around Julian Felipe Reef, which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf. The Philippines has protested the presence of the ships in the reef, an area where it is supposed to enjoy the exclusive right to exploit or conserve resources. China has insisted the area is part of what it calls Nansha Island and that the ships were just seeking refuge from “bad weather.”

Romero, A., Felipe, C. S., Lee-Brago, P., & Jaymalin, M. (2021, April 16). Phl banking on friendship with China to resolve reef issue. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 3, 4.