China has dismissed as “sheer rumor” the recent statements of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) that Beijing may again be building artificial islands in the country’s exclusive economic zone. The PCG over the weekend reported the discovery of piles of dead and crushed corals dumped on the sandbars around Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, taking them as fresh signs of land reclamation in the West Philippine Sea.

Pazzibugan. D. Z., & de Villa, K. (2024, May 16). New 'reclamation' just rumors, says China; PCG sneers at denial. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A3.