Philippines suspends South China Sea survey after China’s ‘harassment’
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This comes after Manila and Beijing agreed during a round of talks on Jan 16 to seek common ground.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MANILA – The Philippines said on Jan 25 it suspended a scientific survey in the South China Sea after two of its fisheries vessels faced “harassment” and aggressive behaviour from China’s coast guard and navy.
Manila and Beijing have had a series of escalating confrontations claims by the Philippines
On Jan 24, two Philippine Bureau of Fisheries vessels, on their way to collect sand samples from Sandy Cay near the Philippine-occupied Thitu island, encountered “aggressive manoeuvres” from three Chinese Coast Guard vessels, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
In its own statement, China Coast Guard said the country has “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands, including Sandy Cay – which China calls Tiexian Reef . It added that it intercepted two Philippine vessels and drove them away in accordance with the law.
It noted that the Philippine vessels entered waters near Tiexian Reef without permission and attempted to “illegally” land on the reef to collect sand samples.
The Philippine Coast Guard said China deployed four small boats from larger coast guard vessels to “harass” two rigid hull inflatable boats deployed by the fisheries bureau to transport personnel to the Sandy Cay.
A Chinese navy helicopter hovered at an “unsafe altitude” over those craft, it added.
Survey operations were suspended “as a result of this continuous harassment and the disregard for safety exhibited by the Chinese maritime forces”, it said.
Manila and Beijing agreed during talks on Jan 16 to seek common ground and find ways to cooperate despite their disagreements over territorial claims in the South China Sea.
An international arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that China's claims, based on its historic maps, have no basis under global law, a decision Beijing does not recognise. REUTERS
