The Philippines accused China on Thursday of seeking to take control of nearly the entire West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) with an expansionist agenda dominated by “massive reclamation” works. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said China’s efforts were aimed at undermining a United Nations tribunal that is due to rule early next year on a Philippine challenge to its claims to the disputed waters. China insists it has sovereign rights to nearly all of the resource-rich sea, even areas approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations, based on an old Chinese map with nine dashes outlining its territory.

Bauzon, B. C. (2015, March 27). China wants control of disputed sea - PH. The Manila times, p. A3.