26-9-2023 (BEIJING) Beijing issued a cautionary message to Manila on Tuesday (Sep 26) following reports that the Philippine Coast Guard had removed a floating barrier at a contested reef, which was allegedly deployed by China to restrict Filipino access to the traditional fishing grounds.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated, “China firmly upholds the sovereignty and maritime rights and interests of the Huangyan island,” referring to the shoal by its Chinese name. He further advised the Philippines against provoking or instigating any trouble.
China asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, while multiple other countries, including the Philippines, have overlapping claims to parts of the region.
Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano vowed to take “all appropriate actions” in response to the removal of barriers installed by the Chinese coast guard at the reef, known as Scarborough Shoal in Manila, within the disputed waters.
During a routine government resupply mission to Filipino fishermen operating near the Chinese-controlled reef, a 300-meter floating barrier was discovered across the entrance to the shoal last week. It remains unclear from the Philippine statement whether the entire barrier has been removed.
The Philippine Coast Guard released a video showing an individual wearing snorkeling gear using a knife to sever a rope attached to white buoys. Another video depicted an anchor being lifted from the water onto a wooden outrigger boat.
The coast guard announced the “successful” removal of the barrier in compliance with presidential instructions. China, which took control of the disputed reef from the Philippines in 2012, regularly deploys coast guard and other vessels to patrol the fishing grounds.
The floating barrier hindered fishing boats from entering the shallow waters of the shoal, where fish are more abundant.
Philippine officials had previously accused the Chinese coast guard of installing the barrier before the arrival of a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship at the shoal last Wednesday.
The reef is situated 240 kilometers west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometers from the nearest major Chinese landmass of Hainan.
According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China participated in negotiating, countries have jurisdiction over the natural resources within approximately 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) of their shores.
Despite the 2016 international court ruling that dismissed its claims as lacking a legal basis, Beijing has disregarded the decision.
The Philippine foreign ministry stated on Monday that it would “take all appropriate measures to protect our country’s sovereignty and the livelihood of our fisherfolk,” without providing further details.
