China lodges representation over recent incident in Scarborough Shoal
China on Friday lodged its representation over its recent harassment that damaged Philippine government ships in the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Dao) claiming that its operations were "professional, rational, reasonable and legitimate".
In its representation lodged in Manila and Beijing, the Chinese government demanded the Philippines to "immediately stop infringement and provocation".
In a statement, the Chinese embassy reiterated that "Huangyan Dao has always been China’s territory" and that "China has indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters."
It also noted that "the Philippine Coast Guard and BFAR vessels entered waters off Huangyan Dao on the 30th of April without Chinese permission, which seriously infringed on China’s sovereignty."
"China Coast Guard took necessary measures to expel them in accordance with the law. The operations on the ground were professional, rational, reasonable and legitimate," it stated.
China also claimed that the Philippines had to limit the area where Filipino fishermen could fish and where troops could fly over in the Scarborough Shoal.
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines stressed this was part of the agreement Manila supposedly entered into with Beijing seven years ago to manage disputes.
Following the recent incident in Scarborough Shoal, the DFA also summoned the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Thursday.
As it protested "the harassment, ramming, swarming, shadowing and blocking, dangerous maneuvers, use of water cannons, and other aggressive actions of China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels against the vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) enroute to Bajo de Masinloc", the Philippines government also demanded the Chinese vessels to immediately leave the area.
On the other hand, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines also claims that the harassment incident last April 30 "has nothing to do with the Filipino fishermen and their fishing activities in the Huangyan Dao area".
"Since the temporary special arrangements were agreed upon by China and the Philippines in 2016, fishing by Filipino fishermen in designated areas off Huangyan Dao was not an issue," it stated.
"Now the incumbent Philippine administration, out of its political agenda, hustles the fisherfolks to the frontline of maritime disputes in the name of humanitarian assistance. This is what’s truly sad," the Embassy added.
It can be recalled that aside from conducting maritime patrol operations, the PCG and BFAR vessels were also tasked to distribute humanitarian assistance for the Filipino fishermen in the vicinity of the Scarborough Shoal.
Despite the harassment and the damage to its vessels, the PCG and BFAR successfully completed its patrol and humanitarian mission in the Scarborough Shoal. Robina Asido/DMS
