South China Sea: Philippines protests against China’s confiscation of fishing equipment

The Chinese coastguard took fish-aggregating devices from Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal in May, officials said

Manila also ‘resolutely objected’ to Beijing issuing repeated radio challenges to Philippine aircraft patrolling over the disputed waters

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Filipino fishermen at the disputed Scarborough Shoal. File photo: Reuters

Published: 12:42pm, 21 Aug 2020Updated: 10:00pm, 21 Aug 2020

Manila has filed a diplomatic protest to Beijing over the Chinese Coast Guard’s move to confiscate equipment used by Filipino fishermen in the disputed South China Sea.

The confiscation of fish-aggregating devices in the Scarborough Shoal occurred in May, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Thursday.

It said that the government “also resolutely objected“ to China continuing to issue radio challenges to Philippine aircraft patrolling over the disputed waters.

There was no immediate comment from Chinese officials.

Manila has protested Beijing’s increasingly aggressive actions in the contested sea despite a dramatic improvement in relations under President Rodrigo Duterte, who has nurtured friendly ties with China while often criticising the United States, which has raised alarm over his deadly anti-drugs crackdown.

The Philippine foreign affairs department did not immediately provide other details on what it said was the Chinese coastguard’s illegal confiscation of the fishing equipment.