The Philippines has filed a low-key diplomatic protest with China after a U.S. think tank reported that Beijing appears to have installed anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons on its man-made islands in the strategically vital South China Sea, the country's top diplomat said Monday.
According to Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, the diplomatic communication was issued after the report came out last month.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies report said anti-aircraft guns and weapons systems designed to guard against missile attacks appear to have been placed on all seven of China's newly created islands.
Yasay told CNN Philippines that Manila had responded, but did so quietly. He also added that they have taken action on it, referring to a diplomatic communication that is issued in the third person and is not signed. It is considered less formal than a letter of protest.
He did not say when it was issued, adding it was a matter that he did not want to discuss.
He said he want to assure the Filipino people that they take action at engaging China in the dispute, adding that taking such aggressive action will not solve the problem.
Beijing says the artificial islands are intended to boost maritime safety in the region while downplaying their military utility. They also buttress China's claim to ownership of practically the entire South China Sea.
Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei also claim territory in the waterway, through which an estimated $5 trillion in global trade passes each year.
Source: New York Times
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