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The Philippines said on Sunday more than 135 Chinese vessels were “swarming” a reef off its coast, describing the boats’ growing presence as “alarming”.
The Chinese boats were “dispersed and scattered” within the boomerang-shaped Whitsun Reef, which the Philippines calls Julian Felipe Reef, around 320 km west of Palawan Island, the coast guard said.
It's also known as Niu'e Jiao in Chinese and Julian Felipe Reef in the Philippines.
It's the largest reef in the Union Banks, which are part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
The reef is a hot spot for territorial disputes. China, Vietnam, and the Philippines all claim ownership of it, and there have been several tense incidents between these countries over the years.
In 2021, for example, a large number of Chinese fishing vessels gathered around Whitsun Reef for several weeks.
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