|
Photo: Stockfile/FIS
Tensions Escalate Between the Philippines and China Over Disputed Fishing Waters
PHILIPPINES
Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 00:10 (GMT + 9)
Philippines Accuses Chinese Vessel of Colliding with Fisheries Boat
MANILA – The Philippines' Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) reported that a vessel from the "Chinese maritime militia" deliberately sideswiped one of its patrol boats near Thitu Island in the South China Sea last Friday, according to a Reuters report.
The incident left the Philippine vessel with damage to its starboard bow, the BFAR stated in a release late Monday.
Tensions between China and the Philippines have been ongoing, with both nations engaged in multiple confrontations over disputed areas in the South China Sea. Manila has repeatedly accused China’s coast guard of aggressive behavior, while Beijing has denounced what it calls provocations and territorial incursions by the Philippines.
The Philippines has also alleged that China uses a "maritime militia" to assert control in contested waters, though Beijing insists these vessels are civilian ships.
Video footage shared by the BFAR shows the Chinese vessel, marked with bow number 00108, approaching and colliding with the Philippine patrol ship, BRP Datu Cabaylo.
"Despite the incident, the BFAR vessel held its position and continued with its mission," the bureau confirmed.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila has not yet responded to requests for comment.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters surrounding the Philippine-held Thitu Island, and continues to reject the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which found Beijing's claims to have no legal basis. The ruling was made in response to a case filed by the Philippines.
The recent maritime clash follows a regional summit of Southeast Asian leaders, where Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for faster negotiations on a code of conduct for the South China Sea.
editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media
|
Print
