Mischief Reef expansion a repainting job

"A mere repainting job."

This was how Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes described yesterday the reported upgrading by Beijing of its structures in Mischief or Panganiban Reef in the South China Sea.

Reyes, speaking at a breakfast forum in Greenhills, said latest reconnaissance flights by the Air Force showed "no alarming Chinese activity" in the disputed area.

"We have no reason to believe that there have been any significant or substantial changes (in the Chinese structures). What we have observed is that there is a repainting job there," he said.

"There is no reason for us to be overly concerned about this," Reyes added.

Meanwhile, the US government reiterated its call for all claimant countries to intensify diplomatic efforts which address issues relating to competing claims, and which contribute to peace and stability in the region.

A US Embassy statement issued by charges d’ affaires Michael Malinowski said the US government "strongly opposes the use or threat of force to resolve the competing claims" in the Spratly islands in the South China Sea.

Reyes said he ordered the reconnaissance flights following the disclosure of a ranking military official last weekend that China had upgraded its communication and other electronic facilities at Mischief Reef, which is about 130 nautical miles off Palawan and well within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor on Tuesday ordered reconnaissance flights to the area to confirm the report.

"We have compared them (photos) with the previous (ones) and we didn’t see any significant changes," Reyes said.