Philippines stops research survey in disputed sea amid China’s ‘harassment’. south china sea news
Several Chinese coast guard vessels were accused of making ‘aggressive maneuvers’ towards Philippine fishing boats.
The Philippines says it has suspended a scientific survey in the South China Sea after its fishing vessels faced “dangerous harassment” and aggressive behavior from China’s coast guard and navy.
The Philippine Coast Guard said on Saturday that three Chinese coast guard ships and four small boats carried out “aggressive maneuvers” towards two inflatable boats of the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries that sank in the sand off Sandy Cay near Philippine-held Thitu Island on Friday. Were going to collect samples. ,
It said a Chinese navy helicopter was also hovering above those planes at an “unsafe altitude”.
The two countries have been involved in a long series of escalating confrontations in the disputed waters of the South China Sea for years. China claims almost all of the strategic waterways, through which $3 trillion of trade passes annually, which overlaps with the claims of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
That claim has been declared baseless by the Hague-based International Court of Arbitration, a decision which Beijing does not recognize.
“As a result of this continued harassment and disregard for security displayed by Chinese maritime forces”, the survey operation was suspended, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard said there were no accidents despite a “dangerous collision”.
In its own statement, the China Coast Guard said China has “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands, including Sandy Cay – which China calls Tiexian Reef – and that it had intercepted the two Philippine vessels and dispersed them in accordance with law. Was.
China’s coast guard said the Philippine ships had entered the waters near Tiexian Reef without permission and attempted to land “illegally” on the reef to collect sand samples.
Thitu is about 430 km (267 mi) from the major Philippine island of Palawan, and more than 900 km (560 mi) from Hainan Island, China’s nearest major landmass.
Chinese forces have captured Subi Reef near Thitu.
Also on Friday, Philippine forces manned an abandoned navy ship docked at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratlys and resupplied troops without incident, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
Manila deliberately scuttled the ship Sierra Madre on the reef to assert its claim to the area.
The Philippine government this month raised concerns over Chinese coast guard vessels patrolling close to the main Filipino island of Luzon, calling it an “intimidation tactic” by Beijing to discourage Filipino fishing.
China rejected the allegation, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman saying the patrol was “in accordance with the law”.
Manila and Beijing agreed to find common ground and find ways to cooperate despite their disagreements in the South China Sea during a round of talks on Jan. 16.
