South China Sea: China and Philippines at odds over Iroquois reef encounter
- Manila says two Chinese coastguard vessels ‘harassed’ Filipino fishing boats within its economic zone
- The China Coast Guard says the Philippine vessels were government ships trying to undermine stability in the waters
Manila said two Chinese coastguard vessels “harassed” Filipino fishing vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, while Beijing said its vessels responded appropriately to illegal activities.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Permanent Court of Arbitration said in 2016 that China’s claims had no legal basis.
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Philippines accuses Chinese coastguard of firing water cannons at its vessels in disputed waters
The disputed shoal is part of what are known internationally as the Spratly Islands and in China as the Nanshas. China’s coastguard said on Saturday that a number of ships belonging to the Philippines had “illegally” entered waters near a reef in the islands that Beijing has sovereignty over.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela posted on X that China’s vessels “went as far as pretending to man their water cannons and threatening the Filipino fishermen” in the Iroquois reef on Thursday.
Chinese coastguard spokesman Gan Yu said in a statement that its operation was “professional and in accordance with standards”. He said the Philippine vessels were government ships using the guise of “fishing protection” to undermine stability in the South China Sea.
