In this handout image released by the Philippine Coast Guard on September 24, 2023, Chinese Coast Guard boats are pictured near the floating barrier near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on September 20, 2023. Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via Portal Purchase license rights
MANILA, Sept 26 (Portal) – The Philippines said on Tuesday the Chinese coast guard had removed remnants of a floating barrier cut by its Philippine counterparts at a hotly contested shoal in the South China Sea, adding that there was no standoff or showed signs of aggression.
The Philippines on Monday carried out a so-called “special operation” to cut through a 300-meter-long barrier erected by China at Scarborough Shoal, one of Asia’s most disputed maritime areas. The move is likely to further strain relations that have deteriorated over the past year.
China’s coast guard has been measured in its response to a Philippine ship that reached the closest point to the ledge since China took control of it in 2012, according to Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesman.
The Philippine Coast Guard, posing as ordinary fishermen aboard a small boat, later cut the ball-buoy barrier and took away the anchor, Tarriela told DWPM Radio and news channel ANC.
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 just hours after discovering they were no longer aligned and blocking the lagoon, Tarriela said.
Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing spot about 200 km (124 miles) off the Philippines and within the exclusive economic zone, has been the site of decades of ongoing disputes over sovereignty.
China did not directly mention the barrier on Monday, but said the coast guard stepped in to repel a Philippine ship that “encroached” into its waters.
The Philippines and China have repeatedly clashed over the shoal, but tensions had eased for several years under the previous pro-China government in Manila.
But relations have deteriorated over the past year as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who authorized the cutting of the cordon, wants to build closer defense ties with U.S. allies, including access to his country’s military bases.
China claims ownership of almost all of the South China Sea, including Scarborough Reef, although a 2016 arbitration ruling said this was unfounded. China does not recognize the ruling.
Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo, speaking to reporters on Tuesday about the removal of the barrier, said the move was consistent with the country’s stance on the South China Sea.
“Technically, we had the right to exercise our sovereignty and our sovereign rights in a way that would have been consistent with our position,” he said.
Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Edited by Martin Petty
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