Opinion

In the South China Sea, Chinese fishing vessels around Thitu Island might net more than they bargained for

More than 200 Chinese vessels surrounding a Philippine-occupied island may prompt a backlash against genuine fishing boats

Their presence may also push the Philippines, which has been edging closer to China, back into a tighter alliance with the US

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A Filipino soldier patrols on a beach on Thitu Island, which the Philippines calls Pag-asa, in the Spratly group of islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines, in May 2015. Photo: Reuters

Lucio Blanco Pitlo III is president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies and research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation.

Published: 1:00am, 25 Apr 2019Updated: 3:05am, 25 Apr 2019

The presence of more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels near Thitu Island, the biggest feature claimed by the Philippines in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, is stirring disquiet ahead of crucial Philippine midterm elections next month. In a rare break from his friendlier attitude towards China, President Rodrigo Duterte advised Beijing to “lay off” Pag-asa, the Philippine name for Thitu. The island is the seat of the country’s smallest town and home to over 200 people.

Fishing in the South China Sea is at its most active from March to June, with March and April the peak season in the Spratlys, which Manila calls Kalayaan. While fish may have drawn the swarm of Chinese boats, their presence at a time of improving ties has drawn ire in the Philippines.

With better access to supplies and refuge through a network of fortified outposts, the Chinese boats’ presence may become a fixture in the strategic and resource-rich sea.

The sheer number of Chinese vessels has raised concerns over unsustainable fishing. The Philippines’ failure to stop Chinese fishing within the 12-nautical mile territorial sea of Pag-asa and other Philippine-held islands may also invite further forays. Worse, it may be taken as acquiescence to Chinese fishing rights.

If Filipino fishing boats are unable to sail near Chinese-controlled reefs to fish, why should Chinese fishers be allowed so close to Philippine-administered features? This is especially so in the absence of a fishing or marine resource conservation arrangement among claimants in the sea.

Reports that the vessels are part of China’s “maritime militia” also heighten security worries. While China is not the only claimant to deploy such militia, its fleet is among the most equipped and its crews receive paramilitary training.