China moving to 'retake' island from the Philippines: report
The government headquarters of Sansha on Woody (Yongxing) island in the Paracels. China set up the prefecture-level city in 2012 to administer the country's claims to the Paracels, Macclesfield Bank and the Spratlys, where Thitu is located. (Photo/Xinhua)
The People's Liberation Army plans to "retake" the disputed island of Thitu in the South China Sea this year, reports the Manila-based Philstar quoting a report on Chinese business and political website Qianzhan.
Claimed by China and Taiwan but controlled by the Philippines, Thitu is the second-largest island in the hotly disputed Spratly chain. The island was formerly known as Tie Zhi in Chinese, but has more recently been known as Zhongye island after a landing ship from the Republic of China Navy which was responsible for recovering the island from Japanese occupation after World War II. It has been occupied by the Philippines from 1971.
The Philippines made an "arrogant" move after announcing plans to increase its military deployment to the island, according to the report. This new policy is an "intolerable insult" to China, the report continued.
The PLA Navy has reportedly drafted a battle plan to "recover" the island in 2014. China holds that the island was "stolen" by the Philippines in 1971, and the clock is ticking to the 50-year mark that will allow the Philippines to legalize its claim.
A security document from the Philippines said that China has drawn up a 20-year expansion plan for its navy to eventually encompass the entire Spratly island chain. The plan is said to have been created 14 years ago following the PLA's occupation of Mischief Reef, which is 130 nautical miles off Hulugan Bay in mainland Palawan and only 97 nautical miles east of Thitu island. "China has four to five years left to carry out the strategy," said an informed security official.
Chinese forces will not press for war on populated Philippine territory but only wishes to reclaim what it lost, claims the report. Officials from Philippine defense and foreign ministries have refused to comment on the report. "We don't comment on news articles that have unnamed and unofficial sources," said Raul Hernandez, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Spratly islands are claimed in whole or in part by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia
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