China accuses Philippines of aggravating tension in disputed shoal

MANILA, Philippines—It’s the Philippines, not China, that has been aggravating tensions in the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea, according to the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

Zhang Hua, the embassy spokesman, disputed on Sunday Malacañang’s accusation that Beijing escalated tensions in the area, saying, “We have been very restrained until now.”

In a text message, Zhang said, “We did not aggravate the situation as some said.”

“First, Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal) is part of China’s territory. Second, it is the Philippine Navy that first pointed their guns at our fishermen,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Zhang, also deputy chief of the embassy’s political section, also pointed out, “We have not sent our Navy (to the shoal) yet, but only civilian ships.”

He confirmed reports that a huge Chinese fishery and maritime law enforcement ship had arrived in the shoal and linked up with another Chinese vessel involved in a standoff with a Philippine Coast Guard search and rescue ship.

But Zhang clarified the newly deployed vessel went “there for fisheries administration.”

At the same time, the Chinese diplomat said China’s “door is always open” for what he called “friendly consultations” with the Philippines on the dispute.

“Of course, we always want to have friendly consultations,” said Zhang.

Last week, negotiations between the two sides ended in a “stalemate,” according to Raul Hernandez, the spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has dared Beijing to join Manila in bringing the dispute to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, which is based in Hamburg, Germany.

The Chinese government, however, brushed aside Del Rosario’s call. It has been maintaining that historically the shoal is part of China’s territory.

Earlier, Zhang told this paper, “Huangyan Island is China’s inherent territory on which we have sufficient legal basis.”

He urged the Philippines to “fully respect China’s sovereignty and commit to the consensus we reached on settling this incident through friendly consultations and not to complicate or aggravate this incident so that peace and stability in that area can be restored.”

The BRP Edsa, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel, is facing off with two Chinese vessels at the shoal in a 13-day territorial impasse set off on April 10 by Chinese poaching in the area, located 124 nautical miles west of Zambales province and its well within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The poachers – on board eight fishing vessels – slipped out of the area with their illegal catch under the protection of two Chinese maritime surveillance ships, angering Philippine officials.

There were three Chinese vessels in the area until Friday night when one returned to China. But it was replaced by a large fishery patrol ship, the Yusheng 310, which arrived on Friday morning.

By Saturday morning, there were only two Chinese vessels in the area – the Yusheng 310 and a maritime surveillance ship.

In a position paper, the DFA said, “The current action of the Chinese surveillance vessels in the 200-nautical mile EEZ of the Philippines that are law enforcement in nature is obviously inconsistent with its right of freedom of navigation and in violation of the sovereign rights of the Philippines under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

“It must also be noted that the Chinese fishermen earlier apprehended by Philippine law enforcement agents may have poached not on Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) per se, but likely on the EEZ of the Philippines. Therefore, these poachers have likewise violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines under Unclos,” it also said.

In the same report, the foreign office asserted that “the Philippines exercises full sovereignty and jurisdiction over the rocks of Bajo de Masinloc and sovereign rights over the waters and continental shelf where the said rock features are situated.”

The DFA emphasized it was “committed to the process of consultations with China towards a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the situation.”

“As the DFA works towards a diplomatic solution, the Philippine Coast Guard is present in the area and is continuing to enforce relevant Philippine laws,” it added.