The US Embassy in Manila has expressed concern on the reclamation activities in Manila Bay as the projects may have ties to a Chinese communications company reportedly involved in the creation of artificial islands in the South China Sea, and cited to be engaged in fraudulent activities. Kanishka Gangopadhyay, the embassy's spokesman, made the statement on Wednesday, August 2. Some of the ongoing reclamation projects are being conducted in the vicinity of the US embassy in Manila. Mark Balmores/MANILA BULLETIN Gangopadhyay said the embassy is concerned that the reclamation projects may be connected to a Chinese company "which has been added to the US Department of Commerce's Entity List for its role in helping the Chinese military construct and militarize artificial islands in the South China Sea." The militarization of artificial islands in the South China Sea is illegal as China has no legal rights based on international law over the waters. "The company has also been cited by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for engaging in fraudulent business practices," Gangopadhyay added. The Chinese Embassy in Manila still has no response on the US Embassy's pronouncement as of this writing. The embassy's spokesman also raised concern on the long-term effect of the projects, particularly on the environment and commerce. "We have expressed concerns about the potential negative long-term and irreversible impacts to the environment, the resilience to natural hazards of Manila and nearby areas, and to commerce," he said. Gangopadhyay said the embassy would continue "to support high quality, sustainable, and transparent investments to benefit the Filipino people." It would also "continue to engage with the appropriate authorities on this matter," he added.