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China warns Philippines against ‘dangerous behaviour’ near disputed Sabina Shoal
- Beijing vows countermeasures after it warns off Philippine vessels in South China Sea as rule for arresting trespassers takes force
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China has said it will take “resolute countermeasures” against “dangerous behaviour” in disputed South China Sea islands as the Chinese coastguard again warned off Manila’s vessels a day before Beijing’s new rule for arresting maritime trespassers came into force.
According to a report and a video by Global Times, a newspaper owned by the party mouthpiece People’s Daily, the Philippine coastguard dispatched boats on Friday to land on the islets of Sabina Shoal, known as Xianbin Jiao in Chinese and Escoda Shoal in the Philippines, to which Chinese forces responded with “restrictive measures”.
Sabina Shoal is one of many atolls in the Spratly Islands, which China calls the Nansha Islands. Beijing, Manila, Taipei and Hanoi have all laid claim to the island and engaged in increasingly frequent stand-offs.
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“[The Chinese coastguard] warned them in both Chinese and English, and reiterated China’s indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao, or Nansha Islands, including Xianbin Jiao, and their adjacent waters,” the report said.
The incident came on the eve of a new regulation authorising the Chinese coastguard to detain foreign nationals for up to 60 days if they trespass in the South China Sea, which China considers its territorial waters. Maritime observers expect Beijing to show restraint when it comes to implementing the guidelines.
Chinese defence ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said it was “legitimate and reasonable” for China to enforce laws in the Spratly Islands, including the Sabina Shoal and the Second Thomas Shoal, or Renai Jiao, which were “waters under Chinese jurisdiction” and China’s “inherent territory”.
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