Is China planning to build more islands in the disputed South China Sea?
This was after the Philippine military release images this week of Chinese ships saying those were capable of dredging sand around the Scarborough Shoal.
They are now asking why ships are around the small but strategic reef and fertile fishing ground.
However, China says the ships are coastguard vessel and there is no dredging going on. Furthermore, reports claim that Beijing said those Chinese coast guard vessels patrol the waters around the shoal and they were there for "law enforcement."
"The situation has not changed. There are no dredging or building activities there," said a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Manila, Philippines.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said that Philippines was seeking clarification from Beijing about the said ships.
He added that Philippines was communicating with Chinese officials on the presence of ships through diplomatic and "back door" channels.
The said images capturing the Chinese vessels were released shorthly before leaders from ASEA met in Laos for the regional summit.
"In the chairman's statement on Wednesday, ASEAN said that land reclamation and "escalation of activities" in the waters had "eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region," as per CNN reported.
To recall, tension between China and Philippines first started at the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 when China effectively evicted Filipino fishermen from the area.
"In July, a landmark international tribunal ruled against China's claims in the South China Sea and said they had unlawfully restricted fishing access to the maritime feature," reports said.
On Thursday at the regional summit, United States President Barack Obama said that the "arbitration ruling was legally binding and called for maritime disputes to be resolved peacefully."
"The island has been blockaded since 2012 but hasn't been built up so this would be new," said Ashley Townshend, a research fellow at the United States Study Centre at the University of Sydney and a visiting fellow at the Center for Asia-Pacific Cooperation and Governance at Fudan University in Shanghai.
"Some think China will now spend the period after the G20 and before the US election building there, though that would be a huge provocation and unlikely in my view," Townshend added.
Meanwhile, Russia and China started military exercises at the disputed waters of South China Sea, reports added.
