China tells PH not to create trouble over floating barrier issue
China has urged the Philippines not to create trouble following the removal of floating barriers installed by Beijing in the Philippine waters it claims it owns.
“We call on the Philippines not to make provocation or stir up trouble,” Wang Wenbin of the Chinese foreign affairs ministry said in his regular press briefing Tuesday as China continued its aggression in the waters, including conducting dangerous maneuvers, laser pointing at Filipino personnel and water cannon attack.
Wang said China’s resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and maritime rights over Bajo de Masinloc, a part of the West Philippine Sea where it installed the barrier, “is unwavering.”
“That’s what the Philippines tells itself,” he also said.
On Sep. 22, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) discovered the barrier, which prevented Filipino fishers from entering their fishing grounds and denied them access to their livelihood.
China justified its move by saying it did so to block a BFAR vessel from entering the waters and its lagoon.
The PCG already removed the barrier on Monday, while the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) vowed to take all necessary measures to protect the country’s territory.