Global Courant
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines said on Tuesday the Chinese coast guard had removed the remains of a floating barrier cut by its Philippine counterparts on a hotly contested shoal in the South China Sea, adding there was no standoff or signs were of aggression.
The Philippines carried out a so-called “special operation” on Monday to cut a 300-meter-long barrier installed by China at the Scarborough Shoal, one of Asia’s most disputed maritime areas, a move that has damaged ties that have lasted years have deteriorated is likely to put further pressure. .
According to Commodore Jay Tarriela, a spokesman for the coast guard, the Chinese coast guard was measured by the response to a Philippine ship that reached the closest point to the rock since China took control of the ship in 2012.
The Philippine Coast Guard, posing as ordinary fishermen aboard a small boat, later cut the buoy barrier and removed the anchor, Tarriela told DWPM radio and ANC news channel.
He said four Chinese coast guard ships were in the area and were “not that aggressive” after seeing media on board a Philippine ship.
The Chinese removed the barriers a few hours after discovering they were no longer aligned and blocking the lagoon, Tarriela said.
The Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing spot about 200 km from the Philippines and within the exclusive economic zone, has been the site of decades of on-and-off disputes over sovereignty.
China made no immediate mention of the barrier on Monday, but said its coast guard had taken action to repel a Philippine ship that “intruded” into its waters.
The Philippines and China have fought repeatedly over the shoal, but tensions had been easing for several years under the previous pro-China government in Manila.
However, relations have deteriorated over the past year as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who authorized the cordon cutting, seeks closer defense ties with ally the United States, including access to his country’s military bases.
China claims ownership of almost the entire South China Sea, including the Scarborough Shoal, despite a 2016 arbitration ruling that said this was unfounded. China does not recognize the ruling.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, speaking to reporters on Tuesday about the barrier removal, said the move is in line with the country’s stance on the South China Sea.
“Technically, we had the right to exercise our sovereignty and sovereign rights so it would have been consistent with our position,” he said.
(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Martin Petty)
