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| Photos presented by the Philippines showing Chinese vessels at Scarborough Shoal. DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE |
VIENTIANE, Laos — Beijing came under pressure at an Asian summit Wednesday over its “illegal” island-building in the South China Sea, after the Philippines produced photos it said showed fresh construction activity at a flashpoint shoal.
A US administration official questioned the Philippine’s claim, telling AFP the United States had not detected any unusual activity at Scarborough Shoal.
“Chinese Naval and Coast Guard presence in the vicinity of Scarborough Reef was within the levels we’ve observed there over the past several months,” the official said.
Any artificial island at Scarborough Shoal could be a game-changer in China’s quest to control the South China Sea and raises the risk of armed confrontation with the United States, security analysts say.
Beijing insists it has not started building at the shoal — a move that could lead to a military outpost just 230 kilometers (140 miles) from the main Philippine island, where US forces are stationed.
But the Philippines released images which it said showed Chinese ships in the area that were capable of dredging sand and other activities required to build an artificial island.
The photos were released during an annual summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Laos, and the bloc voiced alarm.
Read the full story at Inquirer