‘SPECIAL OPERATION’ | A video grab from undated footage provided by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows the removal of the barrier set up by the China Coast Guard in Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) to keep Filipino fishermen from their traditional fishing ground off Zambales province. (File photo from the PCG)
MANILA, Philippines — “Nothing more than self-amusement” was how China described the removal of its floating barrier at Panatag Shoal by the Philippine Coast Guard.
In a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China’s position on the shoal, which it calls Huangyan Dao, remained the same.
“I would like to reiterate that Huangyan Dao has always been China’s territory. What the Philippines did looks like nothing more than self-amusement. China will continue to safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests over Huangyan Dao,” said Wang.
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A day before, Wang admitted that China installed the floating barrier after a Philippine vessel “intruded” into the waters of Scarborough Shoal and attempted to enter its lagoon.
China’s claim over most of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, remains baseless as it was definitively debunked by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in a historic ruling in 2016.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to respond to this recent statement, but it did express its commitment to protecting the country’s sovereignty against China’s repeated incursions in the West Philippine Sea.