Manila, May 2 – The maritime disputes between the Philippines and China doesn’t seem to get resolved. Infact, the situation in the South China Sea only seems to be getting worse.
The Philippines’ foreign ministry summoned a Chinese diplomat on Thursday to protest Beijing’s use of water cannon against Filipino vessels at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
“The Philippines protested the harassment, ramming, swarming, shadowing and blocking, dangerous maneuvers, use of water cannons, and other aggressive actions of China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia” the foreign affairs department said in a statement, referring to fishing vessels Manila maintains are Chinese militia. It urged the boats to leave surrounding waters immediately.
The Scarborough shoal, which has been occupied by China for more than a decade, has been a flashpoint between the Philippines and China on and off for years. Tensions have escalated there recently as the Philippines takes a more assertive approach in disputed areas, while strengthening alliances with the United States and Japan.
A prime fishing patch used by several countries and close to major shipping lanes, the Scarborough shoal falls inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and is claimed by China, though no country has sovereignty over it.
China’s embassy in Manila on Wednesday said the atoll had always been China’s territory and urged the Philippines to cease infringements and provocations and not “challenge China’s resolve to defend our sovereignty”.
Philippines has recently gone in for major defence contracts for modernizing and capability enhancement of its forces. It has concluded the process for BrahMos Cruise Missiles to be imported from India. A look at the U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Defense Guidelines provides an insight into the warm trajectory of their relationship.
China claims sovereignty over much of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
