Philippines criticises China for installing floating barrier in the controversial South China Sea

The Philippines criticized China’s coast guard for putting up a “floating barrier” in a disputed part of the South China Sea. This barrier has stopped Filipino boats from entering and fishing in the area.

In a statement, a person named Jay Tarriela, who speaks for the Philippine coast guard, said that they found something called a floating barrier. This happened when the Philippine ships were doing a regular patrol on Friday. The barrier was about 300 meters long (984 feet).

The Philippine coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources are very mad at the China coast guard for putting up a barrier in the Southeast part of Bajo de Masinloc. This barrier stops Filipino fishing boats from going into the shoal and taking away their ability to fish and make money.

Tarriela posted pictures of a supposed floating barrier. He said that after a Philippine government ship arrived in the area, three Chinese coast guard boats and one Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the barrier.

The National Security Council of the Philippines announced on Monday that it will take necessary steps to remove barriers and ensure the safety and rights of the country’s fishermen in that specific area.

According to national security adviser Eduardo Año, the barriers being set up by China go against the Philippines’ right to fish in certain areas of the South China Sea, which was confirmed by a ruling from an international tribunal in 2016.

On Monday, Beijing explained its actions by saying that it has complete control over Huangyan Island and its surrounding waters, using the Chinese name for the disputed area. It accused the Filipino vessel of entering without permission.

“The Chinese Coast Guard followed the law and did what was needed to make the other boat go away. They showed professionalism in how they handled the situation,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin during a normal press briefing.

Filipino fishermen say that Chinese ships often put up barriers when they see many Filipino fishermen around.

Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, is a small and important reef and good place for fishing. It is located 130 miles (200 kilometers) to the west of the Philippine island of Luzon.

The shoal called Huangyan Island by China is part of a group of islands and reefs in the South China Sea. There are arguments among different countries over who owns these areas.

In 2016, a court in The Hague decided that the Philippines won a major disagreement over the ocean. The decision meant that China could not legally say that they had the right to most of the South China Sea because of history.

China did not follow the decision made.

This happened a few days after the Philippine coast guard showed videos of lots of damaged and discolored coral. Because of this, officials blamed China for causing a lot of destruction in that area. China’s foreign ministry said that the allegations are not true and have no basis.