The Philippines' government said late Saturday that about 220 Chinese fishing boats had massed around a coral reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in early March, saying they were within its exclusive economic zone.The government suspects the boats were mobilized by Chinese maritime militias. The islands are claimed by China and the Philippines, among other nations.The fishing boats were spotted in formation in waters around the reef about 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza on Palawan Island in the western Philippines on March 7, according to the government.The boats…READ FULL ARTICLE
