The Philippines had called on all countries last October to stop construction work on small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, virtually all of which is claimed by China. China itself is undertaking massive reclamation works in the area, while Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam have also been making improvements to their facilities. “We are taking the position that we can proceed with the repair and maintenance,” Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario told diplomats, military officers and foreign journalists at a forum of the Foreign Correspondents Club of the Philippines (Focap) on Thursday.

Calleja, N. P. (2015, March 23). PH to resume reef repairs. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A2.