Manila: The Philippine government has called on China to be transparent with its plans to build a climate monitoring station on Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

Saying the disputed territory is within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), officials said a protest could be filed soon and the government would also seek advice from the United States.

“We have already approached China to seek clarification on this report and plan. We will have to wait for China’s reply,” said acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, adding, “The Philippine government is maintaining a regular and close watch over Scarborough Shoal.”

“[After this process is observed] the case which will be filed [against China] is fairly strong I think,” said Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, adding, “We’re strengthening the relationship with the United States.”

When pressed for details, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said, “What country will be able to achieve its objectives if we announce while we are implementing our strategy (to solve the geo-political problem).”

President Rodrigo Duterte is “working quietly” to underline the Philippines sovereign rights on the Scarborough Shoal. He “will not give up a square centimeter of Philippine territory,” said Cayetano, who advised reporters, “Give a little bit of latitude to foreign affairs department and other departments.”

Duterte said he would not go to war with China after Communist Party secretary Xiao Jie, of Sansha, China was quoted by Chinese newspaper Hainan Daily as saying that a monitoring station will be built on the shoal.

In February, former Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay revealed the US managed to stop China from an earlier plan to enhance the Scarborough Shoal into an artificial island.

In a complaint filed by the Philippines’ against China in 2013, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in 2016 that China’s claim of the entire South China Sea and its enhancement of seven rocks and shoals into islands for military use were illegal.

The court also ruled that China should open the Scarborough Shoal, 120 kilometre west of Zambales, northern Luzon, adding it is a common fishing ground for claimants in the South China Sea.

China took over the shoal after a standoff between Chinese and Philippine vessels in 2012. Scarborough is within Philippines’ 200 - nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the disputed sea-lane, based on a provision of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

After holding bilateral talks with China in October 2016, President Duterte succeeded in his request that Filipino fishermen should be allowed to fish in Scarborough Shoal. Analysts said this helped implement one of PCA’s rulings. But other analysts have mistakenly assessed Duterte’s option for bilateral talks with China boosted Beijing’s sovereignty in the South China Sea.

China has called for bilateral talks and joint development with other countries that have claims on the South China Sea. China has always cited the US “outside of the region” and should not to interfere in the sea dispute.

The US has continued patrolling for freedom of navigation in the sea-lane where more than $5 trillion (Dh18.36 trillion) worth of trade passes each year.

China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim the whole of the South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines claim their respective 200 nautical miles EEZ from their shores.