Manila launches an anti-China protest

China warned their citizens in Manila to stay off the streets and take safety measures during the planned anti-Chinese protests on Friday, May 11, 2012.

Tensions between China and the Philippines could be heighten of about 1,000 people by the planned protest over what is known as the Scarborough Shoal in English and Huangyan island in Chinese in the southeastern region of the disputed waters.

China's embassy in Manila posted an advisory on its website asking its citizens to stay at home, evade demonstrations and abstain from confrontations with locals, anticipating a "large-scale" anti-China protest on Friday.

According to 2008 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, proven and undiscovered oil reserve estimates in the South China Sea range as high as 213 billion barrels of oil. Based on the BP Statistical Review that every country's proven oil reserves would exceed except Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

China claims the South China Sea as its territory based on historical records, has disputes with the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan over the waters.

The standoff in the shoal began in April when the Philippines Navy surveillance plane spotted eight Chinese fishing boats in the area. Manila responded by sending its largest warship, a U.S. Hamilton-class cutter, to check on the Chinese presence.

That standoff now involves four Chinese maritime surveillance ships and eight Chinese fishing boats, and a Filipino coast guard ship and several fishing boats. -VIA — ARA