The Philippines’ largest warship was engaged in a tense standoff with Chinese surveillance vessels Wednesday at a disputed South China Sea shoal, after the ship attempted to arrest Chinese fishermen but was blocked by the surveillance craft.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario has summoned Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing in an attempt to resolve the impasse diplomatically. Del Rosario’s office said in a statement that the Scarborough Shoal is an integral part of Philippine territory and Filipino authorities would assert sovereignty over the offshore area.
The Chinese Embassy has accused the Philippine warship of harassing the fishermen.
China and the Philippines both claim ownership of the shoal which lies off the northwestern Philippine province of Zambales as well as other areas in the South China Sea.
The Spratly Islands south of the shoal are claimed by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan. The chain of barren islands, reefs and coral outcrops are believed to be in rich in oil and gas and the overlapping claims have long been feared as Asia’s next flashpoint for armed conflict.
The current standoff began Sunday when a Philippine navy surveillance plane sighted eight Chinese fishing vessels anchored in a lagoon at Scarborough, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said. That prompted the military to deploy its largest warship, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which was recently acquired from the United States.
On Tuesday, Filipino sailors from the warship boarded the Chinese vessels for an inspection, discovering large amounts of illegally collected coral, giant clams and live sharks inside the first boat, the department said in a statement.
Two Chinese maritime surveillance ships, identified as Zhonggou Haijian 75 and Zhonggou Haijian 84, later approached and positioned themselves between the Philippine warship and the Chinese fishing vessels thus preventing the arrests of the erring Chinese fishermen, the statement said.
Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said Wednesday that the situation at the shoal has not changed as of this morning. There’s a standoff.
The Chinese Embassy said 12 fishing boats had taken shelter from a storm in a lagoon.
Two Chinese marine surveillance ships are in this area fulfilling the duties of safeguarding Chinese maritime rights and interests, it said in a statement.
It said the shoal is an integral part of the Chinese territory and the waters around it the traditional fishing area for Chinese fishermen.
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