China is set to begin land reclamation at the disputed Scarborough Shoal to build naval and air bases to defend the country's claimed maritime perimeter over the Bashi Channel, according to the Philippine Star, an English-language newspaper based in Manila, on July 31.
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio of the Philippine Supreme Court expressed concerns about China's future land reclamation around Scarborough Shoal, which is about 198 kilometers west of Subic Bay in the province of Zambales. The territory is claimed by the Philippines, China and Taiwan and China has continued to deploy maritime security vessels and even warships to the area after a monthlong standoff between Chinese and Philippine vessels in 2012.
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