Philippines Sounds Alarm Over Surge In Chinese Boats In Contested Waters

The Philippines armed forces said on Friday the military had seen in recent weeks an “alarming” surge in the number of fishing boats from China in disputed areas of the South China Sea, including near the Reed Bank area which hosts a stalled Philippine natural gas project.  The long-running dispute in the South China Sea involves territorial claims by China as well as Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, and Malaysia. China has territorial claims to about 90 percent of the South China Sea, which has put it at odds…