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 China had sent as many as seven ships to Quirino Atoll, also known
as Jackson Atoll, in recent weeks, said Eugenio Bito-onon Jr, the
mayor of nearby Pagasa Island in the Spratly Islands.
The Spratlys are the most contested archipelago in the South China
Sea, a resource-rich region and critical shipping lane linking North
Asia to Europe, South Asia and the Middle East.
"This is very alarming, Quirino is on our path when we travel from
Palawan to Pagasa. It is halfway and we normally stop there to
rest," Bito-onon Jr told Reuters.
"I feel something different. The Chinese are trying to choke us by
putting an imaginary checkpoint there. It is a clear violation of
our right to travel, impeding freedom of navigation," he said.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China's
Ministry of Transport had sent vessels to tow a grounded foreign
ship and they had since left the surrounding waters.
 "To guarantee safety of navigation and of work conditions, China
urged fishing vessels near the site to leave," Hong said, adding
that China had indisputable sovereignty over the atoll.
The Philippines Foreign Ministry said Chinese coast guard vessels
had been seen at the atoll two weeks ago but were not in the area on
Wednesday.
"The Department is monitoring reports on the situation on the ground
and reiterates its call for China to exercise self-restraint from
the conduct of activities that could complicate or escalate disputes
in the South China Sea and affect peace and stability in the
region," the ministry said in a statement.
TENSIONS ON THE RISE
Earlier, the Philippine military said it was looking into the
situation around Jackson Atoll, where a Chinese warship allegedly
fired warning shots at Filipino fishermen in 2011.
"We know there are Chinese ships moving around the Spratly area,"
spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla told Reuters. "There
are also ships around Second Thomas Shoal, so we want to make sure
if the presence is permanent."
Second Thomas Shoal is where the Philippine navy has been occupying
and reinforcing a rusting ship that it ran aground in 1999 to
bolster its claims to the disputed reef.
A military source from Palawan said a surveillance plane had seen
four to five ships in the vicinity of Jackson Atoll last week.
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"There are no indications China will build structures or develop it
into an island," said the source, who was not authorized to speak to
the media about the South China Sea.
The Philippines Star newspaper, which earlier reported the story,
quoted an unidentified fisherman as saying Chinese boats chased them
away when they tried to enter the area last week.
Along with China and the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the waters,
through which about $5 trillion in trade is shipped every year.
Tensions in the region have been building recently, with the United
States and others protesting against Beijing's land reclamations,
along with the recent deployment of surface-to-air missiles and
fighter jets in the Paracel Islands.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter warned China on Tuesday against
what he called "aggressive" actions in the region, saying there
would be "specific consequences" to militarization of the South
China Sea.
In response, Hong urged Washington on Wednesday to "stop
exaggerating and sensationalizing" the issue.
For its part, Beijing has been angered by "freedom of navigation"
air and sea patrols the United States has conducted near the islands
it claims in the South China Sea and says it needs military
facilities for its self defense.
(Additional reporting by Michael Martina and Adam Rose in Beijing;
Writing by Lincoln Feast and John Chalmers; Editing by Clarence
Fernandez)
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