The Philippines stops the search in the disputed sea amid “harassment” in China South China Sea News
Several Chinese coast ships accused of making “aggressive maneuvers” towards Filipino fisheries boats.
The Philippines says it has suspended a scientific study in the South China Sea after the ships of its fisheries faced “dangerous harassment” and aggressive behavior from the coast and marine guard in China.
The Philippine Coast Guard said on Saturday that three ships of the Chinese Coast Guard and four smaller boats made “aggressive maneuvers” about two of the Philippine Office from the puffy fisheries that were on their way to collect sand samples from Sandy Kai near.
She said that a Chinese naval helicopter also hovers an “unsafe height” on that craft.
The two countries have been involved in a long -term series of escalating confrontations in the disputed waters in the South China Sea for years. China claims almost all the strategic waterway, with $ 3 trillion in trade annually, and interference with the claims of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
This allegation was declared without a foundation by the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague, a decision not recognized by Beijing.
The Philippine Coast Guard said: “As a result of this constant harassment and ignoring the safety of the Chinese navy,” the survey operations were suspended.
Despite the “dangerous confrontations”, no accidents occurred, the Coast Guard added.
In its own statement, China Coast Guard said that China is “an indisputable sovereignty” on the Spratley Islands, including Sandy Kai – which is called China Tixian Reef – and that it had intercepted and expelled the Philippines ships in accordance with the law.
The Chinese Coast Guard said that the Philippine ships entered the water near Tiexian REEF without permission and tried to “illegally” the land on the coral reefs to collect sand samples.
THITU is about 430 km (267 miles) from the main Philippine Palawan Island, and more than 900 km (560 miles) from the nearest land area on the island of Hainan in China.
The Chinese forces assembled the coral robes near Thutu.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Philippine forces reinstall and rotate the Filipino forces without the incidents running the deserted naval ship on Thomas Shawwal in Sprats.
Manila had established the ship, Sierra Madry, on coral reefs to confirm its demand for the area.
This month, the Philippine government raised the Chinese Coast Guard, which is close to the main Filipino Island, describing the “intimidation tactic” by Beijing to inhibit the Filipino fishing.
China rejected this allegation, as a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the patrols were “according to the law.”
Manila and Beijing agreed during a tour of January 16 to search for a common ground and find ways to cooperate despite their differences in the South China Sea.
