MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine continues to rely on Beijing's "good faith" after a Chinese government report said that it "reasonably" expanded its islands in the disputed West Philippine Sea. Apart from a "large radar," China also constructed facilities for underground storage and administrative buildings, according to Reuters. The report largely reinforced the warning by an American think tank that provided satellite imagery demonstrating China's unceasing construction activities on its artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Early this month, Alan Cayetano, the Philippine foreign secretary, downplayed AMTI's report and defended that China had not occupied any new features in the disputed waters. Aside from the Philippines and China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims over the waters through which $5 trillion worth of trade passes annually.

Source: Philippine Star December 25, 2017 08:48 UTC