MANILA, June 4 (Reuters) – Recent satellite images obtained by Reuters confirmed the existence of a structure at the entrance of the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea last week. However, later images in...
MANILA, June 4 (Reuters) – Recent satellite images obtained by Reuters confirmed the existence of a structure at the entrance of the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea last week. However, later images indicate that this structure may no longer be there.
On Wednesday, the Philippines announced that it is looking into reports regarding a new structure on Scarborough Shoal. China has attempted to assert control over this area since it took effective control of the atoll in 2012.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro mentioned that he received initial information about the structure during a press briefing at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a regional defense forum held in Singapore on Saturday.
Images captured on May 27, 29, and 30 showed what an analyst from Vantor, a commercial satellite imagery provider, suggested could be a floating raft or buoy at the entrance of the atoll. Additionally, May 27 and 29 images displayed a barrier extending across the area.
On Tuesday, SeaLight, a U.S.-based maritime monitoring group, shared satellite images from May 28 that depicted a “small, reflective object” clearly visible on the reef near the lagoon entrance.
“The evidence indicates that it is a persistent feature and not just a temporary optical illusion,” SeaLight stated, referencing its analysis of further satellite images.
However, this structure was not visible in an image taken on June 1 by Vantor, marking the first evidence that it may no longer be present.
China’s defense ministry and its embassy in Manila have not yet responded to requests for comments.