MANILA - Several of the country's top business groups on Wednesday expressed support for the collective call urging China to withdraw its vessels in the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea.
Exclusive rights over the Julian Felipe Reef carries with it the right to utilization and the obligation to protect its economic benefits including its rich marine life and mineral deposits, the statement said. "Now that China is strong economically and militarily, we call on China to refrain from becoming an imperial power," the statement said.
The Philippines has fired fresh protests over the ships' lingering presence, which the DFA has called illegal.
As they purchase cheap Chinese products
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