China anger at Filipino disputed island protest

China has expressed anger after Filipino protesters landed on a remote island controlled by the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea. "We once again urge the Philippines to withdraw... from the islands that it is illegally occupying," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday. It comes after about 50 protesters, mostly students, landed on Pagasa in the Spratly archipelago on Saturday. They said they wanted to highlight growing Chinese encroachment. China claims almost all the South China Sea, believed to be rich in resources, dismissing rival claims by neighbours. Advertisement Apart from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam all lay claim to the disputed waters. The protesters, led by a former naval commander and called Kalayaan Atin Ito (Kalayaan This Is Ours), landed on Saturday and said they would stay for three days - they told that they would leave by 30 December.

Filipino protesters land on disputed island

 Protesters have landed on a remote Philippine island in the disputed South China Sea, officials say. About 50 Filipinos, mostly students, reached Pagasa in the Spratly archipelago on Saturday, saying they planned to stay for three days. They say they want to highlight growing Chinese encroachment in a Philippine exclusive economic zone. China claims almost all the South China Sea, believed to be rich in resources, dismissing rival claims by neighbours. Apart from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam all lay claim to the disputed waters. Advertisement The group is expected to leave the island on Monday.