An international arbitration tribunal said in 2016 that China’s claims had no legal basis.
Hong Kong/Manila:
Satellite images of the hotly contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea show a new floating barrier at its entrance, near where Philippine ships and Chinese coast guard vessels often clash.
A photo taken by Maxar Technologies on February 22 and seen by Reuters showed a barrier blocking the mouth of the shoal, where China’s coast guard last week claimed to have repelled a Philippine vessel that “illegally intruded” into Beijing’s waters.
The Philippines, which last week deployed a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel to patrol the shoal and transport fuel to Filipino fishermen in the area, said China’s claims were “inaccurate” and that Manila’s activities there were legal.
China claims sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal even though it lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. An international arbitration tribunal in The Hague said in 2016 that China’s claims had no legal basis, but Beijing rejected that decision.
That makes the atoll one of Asia’s most controversial maritime features and a flashpoint for diplomatic conflicts over sovereignty and fishing rights.
The satellite image corroborates a report and video released by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday showing two Chinese Coast Guard inflatable boats deploying floating barriers at the entrance to the shoal on February 22.
The PCG said a Chinese Coast Guard vessel tracked the BFAR ship, “conducted an interception exercise” about 1.3 nautical miles (2.4 kilometers) from the shoal, and approached it at close range.
“We can assume (the barrier) is for Philippine government vessels because they install it every time they monitor our presence near the BDM,” Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said. He was referring to the name of the Bajo de Masinloc shoal in Manila.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said that “Scarborough Shoal” is “China’s inherent territory.”
She said that recently, the Philippines has taken a series of actions in the waters off Scarborough Shoal that violate China’s sovereignty. “China must take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”
Another satellite image shows what Maxar Technologies says is “China may have intercepted a BFAR vessel at Scarborough Shoal.”
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, which is home to more than $3 trillion in ship-to-ship trade annually. Its territorial claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
“What we are seeing now at Scarborough Shoal may well be the beginning of Beijing’s counterattack against Manila,” said Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the Yusof Issa Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.
He said the Philippines has challenged China’s presence in Scarborough since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in June 2022, as well as China’s attempts to block supplies of Philippine troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal.
“China’s attempt to prevent Filipino fishermen from fishing in Scarborough Shoal is absolutely illegal,” Storey said. “The 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling gave fishermen of both countries the right to (fish there). Manila is only supporting Filipino fishermen. Legal rights.”
The shoal is famous for its rich fish stocks and stunning turquoise lagoon, providing a safe haven for boats during storms.
Taliera said the Chinese removed the barrier hours after the BFAR vessel left. It’s unclear from the photos how strong the barrier is or whether it would pose an obstacle to larger warships.
The state-run Global Times published an article on Sunday saying that “the Philippines abused and unilaterally destroyed Beijing’s goodwill foundation towards Manila” by allowing Filipino fishermen to operate nearby, infringing on China’s sovereignty and jurisdiction.
The article quoted experts as saying: “If such provocations persist, China may be forced to take more effective measures to control the situation.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
