China accused the Philippines on Friday of “provoking trouble” in the South China Sea with the support of the United States. This follows a week of escalating tensions and mutual accusations between Beijing and Manila over confrontations in the disputed waters.
Wu Qian, spokesperson for China’s defence ministry, said on the ministry’s official WeChat account, “The Philippine side, with US support and solicitation, has been stirring up trouble in many spots in the South China Sea.” He added that the Philippines was aware its territorial boundaries, determined by international treaties, did not include the Spratly Islands or Scarborough Shoal, areas claimed by China.
“The Philippines is well aware that the scope of its territory is determined by a series of international treaties and has never included China’s” Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, he said.
The South China Sea, a resource-rich and strategically vital region, has long been a point of contention. China claims nearly the entire waterway, but its expansive claims are disputed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. These nations argue that China’s assertions encroach on their exclusive economic zones (EEZs), which extend 200 nautical miles from their coastlines and grant jurisdiction over marine resources.
Philippines officials said last week that Chinese coast guard vessels had fired water cannon and side-swiped a Manila fisheries bureau boat on the way to deliver supplies to Filipino fishermen around the Scarborough Shoal, a move that drew condemnation from the U.S.
China’s Coast Guard countered, claiming that four Philippine vessels had attempted to enter waters it considers part of its territory near the shoal, which Beijing calls Huangyan Island.
The Scarborough Shoal has been a flashpoint in the South China Sea dispute. A 2016 international tribunal ruled that China’s territorial claims had no legal basis under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ruling also declared China’s blockade around the shoal a violation of international law.
China has consistently rejected the tribunal’s decision, asserting its sovereignty over the waters. Beijing recently submitted nautical charts to the United Nations to support its claims, which the Philippines dismissed as baseless and illegal. Sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal remains unresolved.
For years, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations have been negotiating a code of conduct with Beijing to regulate activities in the South China Sea. However, some members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) insist that the agreement must align with UNCLOS principles.
The latest accusations and confrontations underscore the complexities of the territorial dispute, further inflamed by external influences and geopolitical rivalries. As tensions persist, the South China Sea remains a critical and contested arena for regional and international diplomacy.
Melissa Enoch
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