Philippines Summons Chinese Diplomat Over ‘Harassment’ of Ship in Disputed Waters

A Philippine fisherman watches a China Coast Guard vessel patrolling the disputed Scarborough Shoal on April 5, 2017. (Erik De Castro/Reuters)

The Philippines has summoned a senior Chinese Embassy official to protest the Chinese coast guard’s alleged “harassment” of a Taiwanese vessel in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on May 31.

The department stated that the Taiwanese vessel, dubbed the RV Legend, was conducting a marine scientific research activity with Filipino scientists on board in the disputed sea, a local news agency reported on Tuesday.

The summoning of a Chinese official happened on April 13, it stated, adding that detailed reports of the incidents are being reviewed for the filing of appropriate diplomatic action.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs notes that only the Philippine Coast Guard has enforcement jurisdiction over these waters. The presence of foreign vessels following tracks that are neither continuous nor expeditious, that are not consistent with Article 19 of UNCLOS on innocent passage, are against the interests of the Philippines,” it added.

The statement came days after U.S.-based research organization Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) reported that Chinese vessels have made “three rounds of coercion in Philippine waters” since March.

“In three separate incidents over the last two months, Chinese law enforcement vessels have challenged marine research and hydrocarbon exploration activities within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea,” the report reads.

The Philippines lodged yet another diplomatic protest against China on May 30, this round against Beijing’s unilateral imposition of a fishing ban in the South China Sea, which Filipinos refer to as the West Philippine Sea.

The fishing ban took effect on May 1 and is expected to last until Aug. 16.

“The [Philippines] reiterated its continuing protest of China’s annual practice of declaring a fishing ban over areas that extend far beyond China’s legitimate maritime entitlements under the 1982 UNCLOS,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Beijing claims much of the South China Sea as its own under its so-called “nine-dash line.” The Hague Tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016. Still, it has had little to no impact on the Chinese regime’s behavior, with Beijing repeatedly intruding into Manila’s territorial zones.

Earlier in May, the Philippine Coast Guard installed five 30-foot-long navigational buoys bearing the national flag on four islands—Lawak Island, Likas Island, Parola Island, and Pag-asa Island—in the South China Sea, designating the areas as special protected zones where mining and oil exploration are prohibited.

Other nations, including Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, also have competing claims against China regarding the South China Sea.