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MANILA: The Philippines said on Monday it executed a “special operation” to remove a floating barrier installed by China at a prime fishing patch in the South China Sea, a move that could stoke tension after a years-long detente in Asia‘s most disputed waters. The Philippines expressed outrage on Sunday and shared images of Chinese coastguard policing a long, ball-buoy barrier near the Scarborough Shoal, a rocky outcrop 200km from the Philippines and the site of years of intermittent flare-ups over sovereignty and fishing rights.
“The barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law. It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk,” the Philippine coastguard said in a statement, describing the shoal as “an integral part of the Philippine national territory”.
China’s foreign ministry made no direct mention of the floating barrier but earlier on Monday defended the actions of its coastguard as “necessary measures” after a Philippine bureau of fisheries vessel “intruded” into its waters on Friday. It said the shoal, which it calls Huangyan Island, was “China’s inherent territory”, over which it had indisputable sovereignty.
“The barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law. It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk,” the Philippine coastguard said in a statement, describing the shoal as “an integral part of the Philippine national territory”.
China’s foreign ministry made no direct mention of the floating barrier but earlier on Monday defended the actions of its coastguard as “necessary measures” after a Philippine bureau of fisheries vessel “intruded” into its waters on Friday. It said the shoal, which it calls Huangyan Island, was “China’s inherent territory”, over which it had indisputable sovereignty.
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