Philippines says 200 Chinese vessels spotted at disputed reef

The Philippine government expressed concern after spotting more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels at a reef claimed by both countries in the South China Sea, but it did not immediately lodge a protest. A government body overseeing the disputed region said late on Saturday that about 220 Chinese vessels were seen moored at Whitsun Reef on March 7. It released pictures of the vessels lying side by side in one of the most hotly contested areas of the strategic waterway. The reef, which Manila calls Julian Felipe, is a boomerang-shaped and shallow coral region about 324 kilometres west of Bataraza…