Foreign countries|South China Sea
China said it was defending its “indisputable sovereignty” in the area, which is claimed by both the Philippines and China.
of the Philippines coast guard says it has removed a 300-meter floating water barrier placed by China last week in the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
This is reported by the Philippine Coast Guard on the messaging service X (formerly Twitter). Coast Guard representative Jay Tarrielan in the footage shared on Monday, it is shown how a guard diver cuts an underwater person.
According to the Guard, the obstacle posed a danger to shipping and was against international law. It also prevented the Philippines from fishing in the area.
According to Tarriela, the Chinese repaired the broken buoy barrier after noticing that it was no longer in place.
They reported on it, for example South China Morning Post and news agencies AFP and Reuters.
of Scarborough the shoal is located in the South China Sea about 200 kilometers from the coast of the Philippines in its exclusive economic zone.
Both the Philippines and China claim the shoal as their own. The area has been the subject of repeated disputes despite a 2016 ruling by the International Court of Justice. The decision secured the Philippines’ fishing rights in the area and stated that there is no basis for China’s territorial claims.
Last Friday, the Philippine authorities noticed that the Chinese ships were setting up a barrier.
On Sunday, Tarriela shared photos showing the floating boom dividing the water area in two. According to him, three Chinese Coast Guard boats and one police boat were involved in setting up the boom.
On Monday, the National Security Council of the Philippines announced that it would take steps to remove the barrier and protect the rights of fishermen in the area. The barrier violated traditional fishing rights affirmed by the International Court of Justice ruling, said the Philippines’ national security adviser Eduardo Año in his statement.
President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr authorized the cutting of the rope. Unlike the previous pro-China government, Marcos Jr. has sought to strengthen defense cooperation with the United States.
China did not directly mention the barrier, but on Monday defended its “indisputable sovereignty” in the region. According to China, its coast guard had chased away the vessel that was moving illegally in the area. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman by Wang Wenbin according to the Chinese Coast Guard had taken “lawful action” in the matter.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, while several other countries, including the Philippines, have overlapping claims to parts of the sea.
The actions may further strain relations that have deteriorated over the past year. Just a few days ago, the Philippines accused Chinese paramilitary fishing squadrons of destroying coral reefs in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
In August, the Philippines accused China of an incident in which the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons at Philippine ships.
In February, the Philippine Coast Guard accused a Chinese vessel of targeting a Philippine vessel with a laser light.
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