Chinese floating barrier at South China Sea flashpoint was ‘necessary’, Beijing says
“China has to take the necessary measures to firmly safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”
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The barrier was removed a few hours after the Philippine vessel left the area, he said.
Commercial satellite images taken on the day also showed the barrier across the shoal mouth, as well as “possible Chinese interception” of the Philippine vessel, according to a Reuters report on Monday.
China’s coastguard had said the Philippine government vessel was “driven away” after it had “illegally intruded into” Chinese waters.
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The shoal sits within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and used to be part of a shooting range for US military stationed at Subic Bay, while China has claimed it as part of its Zhongsha Islands.
Beijing took control of the shoal in 2012, prompting Manila to take the case to an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague, which ruled in 2016 that China’s claims had no legal basis.
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China rejected the ruling, but later allowed the Philippines to enter the area when relations improved under former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Since Ferdinand Marcos Jr became president of the Philippines in 2022, tensions have risen again, with frequent reports of confrontations.
Last September, Manila also accused Beijing of installing a floating barrier to stop fishing boats from entering the Scarborough Shoal. It was later removed by the Philippine coastguard in a “special operation”.