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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Philippines protests anew China's harassment in West PH Sea

Philippines protests anew China's harassment in West PH Sea

Published Dec 5, 2024 04:49 am

The Philippines has filed yet another diplomatic protest against China after its vessel rammed into and fired water cannon at the Philippine vessels within the country’s waters in a move widely condemned by several other nations.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo said Thursday, Dec. 5, that the Philippines would submit its protest as he asserted that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels were operating within legal rights when they encountered Chinese harassment.

Manalo also said he would meet with Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian on the same day.

“Certainly, we don’t understand why China again is repeating these actions which are clearly illegal,” Manalo told reporters.

According to DFA, there are already 60 diplomatic protests filed by the Philippines against China since 2024 and 193 since President Marcos assumed office in July 2022.

Tension flared anew between Manila and Beijing when five Chinese ships, including three from its coast guard and two from its navy, ganged up on Philippine ships in Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

The incident happened despite the many times that diplomats from both sides repeatedly worked on ironing out the years-long maritime row between Manila and Beijing.

China has kept claiming the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea that international law says is within the Philippines’ jurisdiction.

In a statement, China claimed it was the Philippines vessel that rammed into the Chinese vessel, which was a larger one; and China only responded accordingly and “lawfully to control the situation.”

A​t least a dozen countries did not buy Beijing’s narrative and rather condemned its aggression.

United States Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said what China did disrupted the Philippine maritime operation and put people’s lives at risk.

Meanwhile, the European Union, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, France, Canada, Germany and Norway expressed concern about China's move.

​They also shared the same call to respect international law and uphold the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.

For British envoy in Manila Laure Beaufils, China's dangerous actions against Philippine vessels "raise tensions and the risk of miscalculation​."

Related Tags

Enrique Manalo Chinese harassment Scarborough Shoal bajo de masinloc West Philippine Sea
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