Beijing says its coast guard took necessary measures in accordance with the law to dislodge a Philippine ship.
China’s Foreign Ministry has defended the installation of a “floating barrier” in a disputed area in the South China Sea, saying the coast guard took the necessary measures in accordance with the law to dislodge a Philippine ship.
Spokesman Wang Wenbin made the comments Monday after the Philippines said the buoys at the Scarborough Shoal were preventing Filipinos from fishing in the area. Wang did not specify which law he cited to justify the barrier’s installation.
China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, an area that overlaps with the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines.
In Manila, the national security adviser said Monday that the Philippines will “take all appropriate measures to remove the barriers,” setting up a possible confrontation with the Chinese coast guard.
“We condemn the installation of floating barriers by the Chinese Coast Guard,” Eduardo Ano said in a statement. “The PRC’s installation of a barrier violates the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen.”
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday that the barrier is a violation of international law and that the Philippines “will take all appropriate measures to protect the sovereignty of our country and the livelihood of our fishermen.”
Philippine Coast Guard and Fisheries Bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier, estimated to be 1,000 feet long, during a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc.
“We have to be very careful [not to commit] any diplomatic lapse,” Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a radio interview Monday when asked if the Coast Guard plans to remove the barrier.
According to Philippine fishermen, the Chinese coast guard usually installs such barriers when monitoring a large number of fishermen in the area and removes them later, Tarriela said.
Scarborough Shoal is within the 200 nautical mile (370 km) EEZ of the Philippines, as defined by international maritime law and confirmed by a ruling of the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
Beijing claims the area as part of its territory and calls Scarborough Shoal Huangyan Island.
In 2012, Beijing took control of Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines, forcing Filipino fishermen to travel further for smaller catches.