Mischief Reef - Disputed Area

Disputed Area

In 1994, the PRC built the initial structures on stilts here while the Philippine Navy was not patrolling the area due to a monsoon season. Since the reef is just 130 miles (209 km) away from Palawan, well inside the Philippines' EEZ, the Philippines immediately protested this action. However, China rejected the protest and stressed that the structures were shelter for fishermen. In 1999, another wave of protests from Manila occurred when China added more structures to Mischief Reef which resembled military installations more closely than shelters for fishermen.

The Philippines alleged China's actions in South China Sea as part of China's "creeping invasion." For instance, China was also reported to have planted buoys in Sabina Shoal, a much closer reef from Palawan which is just 70 miles (113 km) away. Philippines claimed that China had a well-rehearsed routine when laying claim to a new reef: first put down buoys, then build concrete markers. Temporary wooden or bamboo shelters followed, and if China was still not challenged, the permanent military forts went up. The Philippines tries to destroy the buoys or markers before China has time to build larger structures.

The Philippines' decision not to destroy the Chinese structures on Mischief Reef prevented an escalation of the dispute. The Philippines claims that China has always been prepared for armed conflict when opposed, as is evident in China's defense of reefs from Vietnam in 1988 Johnson South Reef Skirmish which resulted in more than 70 Vietnamese deaths. The Philippines decided not to attack since it could have led the two countries into a war, the consequences of which could have escalated into a wider conflict. The Philippines is a military ally of the United States under treaty.