Gab Ibis

China continued to bolster its military presence on Subi (Zamora) Reef and other features in the contested waters, according to the Philippine Navy.

Photo Courtesy of Diwata-2 Satellite.

Despite a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling invalidating its sweeping claims in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), China continues to build infrastructures within their nine-dash line claimed territory.

Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral, revealed on Tuesday that China has completed the construction of substantial military structures, airstrips, and storage facilities on the said reef.

The reef, located within the country’s continental shelf but outside its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), has become a fully functional military base housing vessels from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, China Coast Guard, and Chinese Maritime Militia.

"They have militarized the South China Sea," Trinidad said. "We monitored the presence of construction vehicles, heavy equipment vehicles, and the construction of more structures on Subi Reef."

Subi Reef, approximately 12 to 15 nautical miles from Pag-asa Island in the Spratlys, now hosts large structures, a runway, radar domes, antennas, vehicles, hangars, and a wide deepwater shelter port.

These facilities enable Chinese vessels to seek refuge during adverse weather conditions.

Despite these developments, the reef remains outside the Philippines’ territorial waters.

Trinidad emphasized that the 2016 arbitral ruling explicitly stated that man-made islands and features like Subi Reef do not generate maritime entitlements.

"Our way forward is to bring this to the international community because this is part of the arbitral tribunal ruling. If we attempt to physically stop the construction, it could lead to conflict," Trinidad said.

The Beijing government continues its construction and expansion efforts in the WPS, transforming several reefs to strategic military outposts.

Large military structures have also been built on Mischief Reef (Panganiban) and Mabini Reef (Johnson South), with smaller installations on other features.

China’s extensive reclamation and construction projects since 2013 have added over 3,000 hectares to its holdings in the WPS, including areas within the Philippines’ EEZ.