Philippines lodges protest over China’s ‘illegal’ South China Sea presence and activities

The Philippines has lodged a protest over China’s continuing “illegal presence and activities” near an island in the South China Sea held by the Southeast Asian nation, the foreign ministry said on Saturday.Manila lodged the diplomatic protest on Friday over the “incessant deployment, prolonged presence, and illegal activities of Chinese maritime assets and fishing vessels” in the vicinity of Thitu island. It demanded that China withdraw the vessels.The Chinese embassy in Manila did not…