Bangkok, Feb 11 (EFE).- The Philippine Coast Guard reported this Sunday that four Chinese vessels carried out aggressive harassment maneuvers in recent days once morest a Philippine ship in disputed waters in the South China Sea.
In a statement, the Philippine authorities indicated that the BRP Teresa Magbanua of the Philippine Coast Guard was harassed on more than 40 occasions by Chinese Coast Guard vessels around the Bajo Mansiloc Atoll (also called Scarborough or, in China, Huangyan Dao).
“The CCG (Philippine Coast Guard) ships carried out dangerous maneuvers and blocked the BRP Teresa Magbanua at sea on four occasions, with the (Chinese) ships crossing the bow of the PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) vessel on two occasions” , stated the Philippine agency.
However, he added that the BRP Teresa Magbanua, which left for the area on February 1 and has already completed its mission, has managed to distribute food and water to fishermen in the area.
Beijing and Manila dispute the sovereignty of Scarborouth Atoll (Mansiloc Basin) and the surrounding waters.
The Philippine authorities allege that the atoll is within their exclusive economic zone and that the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected Beijing’s sovereignty aspirations in 2016, a ruling that the Chinese government refuses to abide by.
China and the Philippines are in a conflict over the sovereignty of several islands and atolls in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety for “historical reasons”, also disputing territories with Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei.
These waters are a strategic area through which a third of world trade circulates and is home to important fishing and energy resources.
By: EFE
2024-02-11 09:43:53
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