The Philippine government has discovered more than 200 fishing boats on a rocky reef in the South China Sea that is under dispute with China over sovereignty. The Philippine government expressed concern, but did not immediately protest.
The Philippine government agency overseeing the disputed area said Saturday (March 20) evening that about 220 Chinese boats were anchored at Whitsun Reef on March 7. The Philippine government believes the men on the fishing boats are militiamen.
The Philippines calls the reef Julian Felipe, a boomerang-shaped area of shallow coral about 175 nautical miles (324 kilometers) west of the town of Bataraza in the western Philippine province of Palawan. It lies entirely within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and the Philippines “has the exclusive right to exploit or protect any resources,” the agency said in a statement.
The statement said the presence of a large number of Chinese vessels has raised concerns on the Philippine side due to possible overfishing, damage to the marine environment and navigational safety risks. But the statement said the boats were not fishing when they were spotted.
Asked if the Philippines would protest, Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted, “Only if the generals want me to do that (would protest).”
Critics have repeatedly pointed to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s failure to confront China’s aggressive behavior and his decision not to rush China to comply with the international arbitration ruling. The ruling invalidates China’s historic claims. China, for its part, has refused to recognize the 2016 ruling and continues to ignore it.
Duterte has maintained friendly relations with Beijing since taking office in 2016.
In defending his non-confrontational approach two years ago, Duterte said, “When Xi Jinping says ‘I want to fish,’ who can stop him?”
He also said at the Time, “If I send the Marines to chase away the Chinese fishermen, I guarantee that none of you will go Home alive.” Duterte also said his diplomatic talks with Beijing had allowed the Filipinos to return to the disputed fishing grounds, and that they would be driven out before then.
Duterte has been seeking Chinese funding for infrastructure, as well as trade and investment. With the alarming increase in the number of new coronavirus infections in the Philippines, China has provided donations and pledged to provide more new coronavirus vaccines.
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