ANALYSIS – When I first read of China's latest aggressive action in the South China Sea – installing illegal floating barriers in contested waters – I thought forceful action was required in response.
This should include removing the sea barriers laid by Chinese forces. However, I wasn't certain it would be forthcoming.
My doubts were proven unfounded as the Philippines, likely in consultation with the United States, responded as forcefully as it could have.
They publicly removed the barrier installed by Chinese coast guard boats to block access to a prime fishing patch within a disputed area of the South China Sea.
The illegal barriers were placed at the entrance to a lagoon within Scarborough Shoal.
Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further, and for smaller catches.
Beijing later allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the uninhabited shoal when bilateral relations improved significantly under then-president Rodrigo Duterte. But the new president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who took office last year, has been staunchly defending his country's sovereignty against Chinese encroachment and threats.
Marcos has also dramatically ramped up military cooperation with the U.S., in 2023, including an enhanced basing agreement allowing American forces access to several military facilities throughout the Philippines.
And this latest move by Marcos against China shows he is very serious.
Philippine Coast Guard and fisheries bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier on a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc.
Three Chinese Coast Guard rigid-hull inflatable boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat reportedly installed the floating barrier when the Philippine vessel arrived.
In images shared by The Philippines, Chinese craft can be clearly seen installing a 1,000-foot-long floating barrier across the only entrance into the atoll, blocking access to Filipino fishing vessels. Initially, the Chinese tried to confront the Filipino vessel, but soon left the area when they noted media aboard the Filipino ship.
The country's foreign ministry claims the barriers were a violation of international law and threatened the livelihood of their fishermen.
Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela posted on X, formerly Twitter, a video and a still image showing a diver carrying a knife and cutting the cable linking the buoys.
Another photo showed personnel removing an anchor of the “floating barrier.”
Tarriela stated: “The decisive action of the PCG to remove the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines' sovereignty over the shoal.”
China claims 90% of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
While Beijing defended the actions of its coastguard, stating they were “necessary measures,” Filipino officials strongly disagreed, as reported by the BBC.
“The barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law. It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk,” the Philippines coast guard said in a statement.
It described the shoal as “an integral part of the Philippine national territory.”
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News
Bravo Phillppines Bravo
When Joe Biden and Merrick Garland allow China to buy all of America’s farmland, I am hoping they will allow us citizens to buy some of the produce back. I think the main problem might be is at what cost.