The Philippines has accused China’s coast guard of installing a “floating barrier” within its exclusive economic zones in the South China Sea. The barrier has prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in an area that China claims as part of its territory. Manila’s coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources have strongly condemned China’s installation of the barrier in the Scarborough Shoal. Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, stated that they will continue to work closely with concerned government agencies to address these challenges and protect their maritime rights.
China is asserting its claim to 90 percent of the South China Sea, which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced Filipino fishermen to travel further for smaller catches. Under President Rodrigo Duterte, bilateral relations improved, allowing Filipino fishermen to return to the shoal. However, tension has escalated again since Duterte’s successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., took office.
The Philippines’ coast guard and Fisheries Bureau discovered the floating barrier, estimated to be 1,000 feet long, during a routine patrol near the shoal. Chinese coast guard boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the barrier in the presence of the Philippine vessel. According to Filipino fishermen, China typically installs such barriers when monitoring a large number of fishermen in the area. The Chinese boats issued radio challenges and accused the Philippine ship and fishermen of violating international and Chinese laws before moving away upon realizing the presence of media personnel onboard the Filipino vessel.
It is worth noting that Beijing’s maritime claims have been found to be in violation of international law as reflected in the 2016 ruling of the Hague against Beijing’s claims. The ruling highlighted that China’s claims are inconsistent with the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which designates maritime areas within 200 nautical miles of coastal nations’ borders as part of their exclusive economic zones. China is a signatory to the UNCLOS.