MANILA, Philippines - The recent presence of armed coast guard vessels of China in the West Philippine Sea contributes to the tension in the disputed area, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.
DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez deplored China's move to boost its surveillance operations around the disputed territory, saying it violates an international declaration that both countries should observe.
"Such activity is inconsistent with the spirit of the declaration of the conduct of parties in the South China Sea," Hernandez said in a press briefing.
He added that China's deployment of newly equipped force not only "raises the level of tension" but also taunts the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in its efforts to build confidence among involved parties.
China disclosed an integrated coast guard combining economic and security functions which Beijing reportedly deployed to territories with standing rifts with the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
The new Sino coast guard has been tasked with surveillance, fisheries administration, law enforcement and border control and equipped with weapons.
Hernandez said that the agency is still verifying recent sightings of Chinese coast guard ships in Panganiban or Mischief Reef, which are part of the Spratlys group, off Palawan province. The Chinese calls the territory, which is well within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, as "Meiji Reef.