Chinese envoy shrugs off Teodoro’s remarks on Scarborough harassment

Scarborough Shoal. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian on Thursday shrugged off Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s remarks against Beijing over the latest harassment of Filipino fishermen in Scarborough Shoal.

Teodoro condemned China Coast Guard (CCG) after its members drove away Filipino fishermen gathering seashells in the low-tide elevation, noting that its personnel had no business in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“We need to follow the guidance of the president instead of any official,” said Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian after the inauguration of the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Makati City.

Huang noted that both countries conducted a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on South China Sea (SCS) held in Shanghai last Jan. 17 to handle maritime issues. 

“Both sides agree to handle maritime disputes through … consultations and communications,” Huang noted. 

“I think this is the spirit not only of the BCM but also [of] the two presidents,” he added, referring to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and China’s President Xi Jinping.

China asserts sovereignty over most of the SCS, which includes the WPS, disregarding an international tribunal ruling in 2016 that effectively dismisses its sweeping claims.

In 2023, the CCG resorted to the usage of military-grade laser once and water cannon at least four times against Philippine vessels in resupply and humanitarian missions in the Ayungin Shoal and Scarborough Shoal.

The CCG also routinely blocked and conducted what the Philippine government deem to be “dangerous maneuvers” against its vessels operating within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.