The Philippines reveals the installation of a controversial barrier by China in the South China Sea.
Sept. 25, 2023 (UPI) — The Philippines has declared its intention to undertake necessary measures to dismantle a floating barrier that China has constructed in a disputed region of the South China Sea. This move risks exacerbating the already strained relations between the two Asian nations.
Eduardo Año, the national security adviser, reassured the Filipino public in a statement published by the state-run Philippine News Agency that the floating barrier put up by China would be removed.
“We strongly condemn the Chinese Coast Guard’s installation of floating barriers,” he stated.
Last Friday, a barrier approximately 1,000 feet long was discovered, obstructing Filipino fishing boats from accessing the Scarborough Shoal. This triangular chain of reefs is located about 120 nautical miles west of Zambales Province in Luzon, the Philippines.
The Philippine Coast Guard made the discovery public on Sunday, sharing images and videos of the barrier on X (formerly known as Twitter). According to Jay Tarriela, the spokesperson for the Coast Guard, three Chinese Coast Guard boats and Chinese maritime militia service vessels positioned the floating barrier in the southeastern part of the shoal, greatly impacting the livelihoods of Filipino fishermen.
Approximately 50 Filipino fishing boats were present in the area when Chinese Coast Guard vessels initiated 15 radio challenges, accusing them of violating both international and Chinese laws. However, upon realizing the presence of media personnel aboard Filipino government boats that had responded to the situation, the Chinese vessels departed the area, as confirmed by Tarriela.
China asserts its ownership of 90% of the South China Sea through its Nine-Dash-Line maps, which were rejected by The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 on the grounds that Beijing had no historical rights to the region.
Although both countries claim sovereignty over the shoal, along with Taiwan, China has been in control of the sandbar, referred to as Huangyan Island, since 2012. The area has been a focal point of conflict between the two nations ever since.
In his statement on Monday, Año reminded China of the 2016 ruling and highlighted that Filipinos have been fishing in the area for centuries.
“Any state that hinders their ability to engage in artisanal fishing there is in violation of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and international law in general,” he emphasized.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the President of the Philippines, has been briefed on the situation, and the National Security Council is awaiting his response.
Officials have indicated that they possess the legal authority to remove the barriers, as they are located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, covering a 200-nautical-mile radius.
