China Accuses Philippines of Lying About Removing Illegal South China Sea Barrier

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced Monday that it carried out orders from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and removed a floating barrier constructed by China to illegally prevent Filipino fishing boats from accessing a lagoon at Scarborough Shoal.

On Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called the claim a “fabrication” and claimed Chinese forces removed the net themselves after driving Philippine Coast Guard vessels away.

The PCG discovered the floating net, which was reportedly almost a thousand feet wide and held up by buoys, during a routine patrol on Friday. PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela immediately condemned the net, saying it “prevents Filipino fishing boats from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities.”

Tarriela said Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels attempted to drive away the Philippine patrol, asserting the presence of the Filipino vessels “violated international law and the domestic laws of the People’s Republic of China.”

In truth, China has no legal claim to the Scarborough Shoal, which Filipinos refer to as Bajo de Masinloc or BDM. The shoal lies well within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines and has long been a source of bountiful catches for Filipino fishermen. 

China has occupied the shoal by force, using coast guard and paramilitary ships, since 2012. China’s attempt to claim the feature was rejected by the International Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016, but Beijing simply ignored the ruling.

On Monday, Tarriela announced the PCG “successfully removed the hazardous floating barrier,” as directed by President Marcos. Tarriela included photos and videos that appeared to show Filipino divers dismantling the barrier.

“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 in BDM, which is an integral part of the Philippine national territory,” Tarriela said, referencing the 2016 tribunal ruling in the Philippines’ favor.

“The decisive action of the PCG to remove the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines’ sovereignty over the shoal,” he said.

“It’s an illegal and illegitimate action coming from the People’s Republic of China,” Tarriela told reporters. “Definitely it affects our food security.”

Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año seconded Tarriela’s comments, saying the Chinese barrier “violates the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen.”

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China Coast Guard via Storyful

During his press conferences from Monday through Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin repeatedly accused the Philippine government of lying about removing the barrier and asserted Chinese control over the shoal.

“That’s what the Philippines tells itself,” Wang sneered when asked about Tarriela’s report. “This so-called action by the Philippine side is purely a farce for its own amazement.” 

“China’s resolve in safeguarding its sovereignty and maritime rights and interests over Huangyan Dao is unwavering. We call on the Philippines not to make provocation or stir up trouble,” he threatened, using China’s name for the Scarborough Shoal.

Wang claimed a Philippine vessel approached the shoal on Friday “without China’s permission” and “attempted to enter its lagoon.”

“China’s Coast Guard did what was necessary to block and drive away the Philippine vessel. The steps it took were professional and restrained,” he insisted.

China’s state-run Global Times quoted a CCG spokesman named Gan Yu, who said Thursday the Filipino claims were “purely fabricated.” Instead, he claimed the CCG drove away a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship that tried to enter the waters around the shoal and “stir up trouble in a provocative manner on Friday.”

“The CCG took necessary measures in accordance with the law to effectively restrict the Philippine vessel, including calling and warning, route restrictions and temporarily setting blocking nets on the lagoon the Philippine vessel had entered,” Gan said.

According to Gan, the floating barrier was removed by the CCG on Saturday, and “management measures returned to normal, with all onsite operations done professionally.”

Gan furnished photos of the CCG blocking the Filipino vessel and then “recovering” the blocking nets itself. He evidently did not explain why the barrier was removed or deployed in the first place.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) observed Wednesday that China patrols the Scarborough Shoal vigorously and would be unlikely to allow a PCG crew to enter the lagoon and dismantle its barrier without taking fairly aggressive measures to stop it since such an incursion would pose a devastating challenge to China’s claims of sovereignty over the feature.