File footage of events in the South China Sea

Record ID: 1957864

  • Title: File footage of events in the South China Sea
  • Date: 6th April 2021
  • Summary: Chinese state television showed footage of a groundbreaking ceremony for the building of two lighthouses on Huayang Reef and Chigua Reef on the disputed Spratly islands, state news agency Xinhua said, defying calls from the United States and the Philippines for a freeze on such activity. The reefs were known in English as Cuateron Reef and Johnson South Reef. UNIDENTIFIED
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: China East Asia South China Sea Spratly Islands Woody Island artificial islands construction disputed territories military deployments missiles
  • Location: SEE SCRIPT BODY FOR LOCATIONS
  • City: SEE SCRIPT BODY FOR LOCATIONS
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Government/Politics,International Trade
  • Reuters ID: LVA00AE7EIFD3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Tensions in the South China Sea have simmered for decades, intensifying in recent years around a group of islands on the Spratly archipelago believed to be rich in natural resources and a valuable trade route.
    China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei claim the Spratly islands and/or its surrounding waters. China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim all of the Paracel Islands in the north of the South China Sea.
    The dispute has intensified political and military rivalry across the region between the rising power of China and the long-dominant player, the United States. China has been projecting its growing naval reach while the U.S. is deepening ties with both traditional security allies, such as Japan and the Philippines, and newer friends, including Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
    In 2013, the Philippines formally lodged its arbitration case under the UN's 1982 Convention of the Law of the Sea, known as UNCLOS, and subsequently won the ruling in July 2016, which China rejects.
    Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been seen giving in to Beijing's strategic demands in hopes of securing billions of dollars in loans and investments, has been criticised for not using the arbitral ruling to its favour.
    Tensions sparked anew in March 2021 after the Philippines spotted over 200 Chinese vessels believed to be manned by militia near Whitsun Reef, prompting Manila to file a diplomatic protest and defence officials expressing concerns that China would occupy more features in the contested territorial waters. Beijing has rejected the accusations.
    (Production: Peter Blaza)
  • Copyright Holder: CCTV (China)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp. This asset – including all text, audio and imagery – is provided by CCTV (China). Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of, or endorse any views or opinions expressed in, this asset.
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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