Disputed Spratly Islands remain thorn in foreign engagements for Philippine President Marcos Jr

The declaration, signed among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China in 2002, discourages any action to inhabit previously uninhabited features in the crucial waterway.

Analysts said visits do not equate to habitation, which involves setting up fixed structures.

On the other hand, a Bloomberg report in December 2022 said China has been building on several unoccupied features in the disputed waters. The embassy tagged the report, which quoted Western officials, as “fake news.”

Analyst Don McLain Gill said there is a disconnect between the pronouncements and actions by China.

“There is always a discrepancy between what China says at the political level and what it does on the ground. It is unwilling to compromise its narrowly-driven regional ambitions,” said the lecturer of international studies at De La Salle University.

“Because of that, Manila was quick to mobilise its diplomatic and defence network, particularly in line with our traditional ally. No other country comes close to the United States in terms of providing Manila with defence capabilities,” he added.