South China Sea: Philippines removes 300-metre floating barrier placed by China in disputed lagoon
- The Philippine coastguard said in a statement that it had successfully removed the floating barrier in a ‘special operation’ on the president’s orders
- Footage released to the media showed a diver cutting what appears to be a barrier rope. Beijing said it ‘has indisputable sovereignty’ in the area
Chinese coastguard vessels laid the rope and net barrier, held up by buoys, last week as a Philippine government fisheries vessel approached and more than 50 Philippine fishing boats swarmed outside the shoal, the Philippine coastguard said.
“The decisive action of the Philippine coastguard to remove the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines’ sovereignty over the shoal,” the coastguard said. “The [coastguard] remains committed to upholding international law, safeguarding the welfare of Filipino fisherfolk and protecting the rights of the Philippines in its territorial waters.”
Video issued by the Philippine coastguard to journalists in Manila showed a diver cutting a part of what appears to be the barrier rope. A man on board a motor boat tries to lift what appears to be a part of the barrier rope in another video released by the coastguard to the media.
Earlier on Monday, Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said that “the placement by the People’s Republic of China of a barrier violates the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen.”