Philippines says it ‘strongly condemns’ move at Scarborough Shoal which prevents its fishing boats from gaining access
The Philippines has accused China’s coast guard of installing a “floating barrier” in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.
Manila’s coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources “strongly condemn” China’s installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.
The barrier “prevents Filipino fishing boats from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities”, he said.
Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier, estimated at 300 metres (1,000 feet) long, on a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, Tarriela said.
Why does China, an East Asian country, lay claims to a part of sea so far down south it’s practically just a stone toss from Borneo?
Because China has expansionist dreams. It’s really that simple.
The SCS is one of the world’s most heavily trafficked waterways. An estimated $3.4 trillion in ship-borne commerce transits the sea each year, including energy supplies to U.S. treaty allies Japan and South Korea. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the SCS contains about 11 billion barrels of oil rated as “proved” or “probable” reserves—a level similar to the amount of proved oil reserves in Mexico—and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The SCS also contains significant fish stocks, coral, and other undersea resources.
Source (PDF): https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10607
Yep, and China is building artificial islands around the SCS
China has 20 outposts in the Paracel Islands and 7 in the Spratlys. It also controls Scarborough Shoal, which it seized in 2012, via a constant coast guard presence, though it has not built any facilities on the feature. Since 2013, China has engaged in unprecedented dredging and artificial island-building in the Spratlys, creating 3,200 acres of new land, along with a substantial expansion of its presence in the Paracels.
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“Deniable” and “naval warfare” don’t really go together
I agree, but if you go by the Chinese standard, they surprisingly do. Loud blowhorns, weaponized lasers, and suddenly cutting off civilian fishing vessels is apparently a-okay, if they’re the ones doing it. They’ve also sank some civilian ships.
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It works for undersea internet cables and gas lines
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Partisan shark activity, notoriously hard to track down as they are always on the move.
That’s literally just a torpedo.
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This is the best summary I could come up with:
The Philippines has accused China’s coast guard of installing a “floating barrier” in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.
Manila’s coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources “strongly condemn” China’s installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.
Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier, estimated at 300 metres (1,000 feet) long, on a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, Tarriela said.
Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further, and for smaller catches.
Beijing allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the uninhabited shoal when bilateral relations were improving markedly under then-president Rodrigo Duterte.
But tension has mounted again since his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, took office last year.
The original article contains 263 words, the summary contains 161 words. Saved 39%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
