The Philippines Said Its Fishing Vessels Were Harassed by Chinese Coast Guard and Navy on Saturday, Prompting the Philippine Ships to Suspend A Scientific Survey They Conducting in the South China Sea.
Accord to the Philippine Coast Guard, Two Vessels from the Bureau of Fisheries Were on the Way to Collect Sand Sandles From Sandy Cay, Three Small Uninhabited Sandbars inThe Spratly Archipelago Their location lay near the thesland regulated by the Philippines and a man-made island where china had actually set up an army base.
What took place to the Vessels
They Were Met Withe Three Chinese Coast Guard Vessels, and ENCOUNTERED “AGGRESSIVE MASEUVER” Including Four Small Boats That Were Deployed to “Harass” The Philipino Boats, The Philippine Coast Guard Said in A Statement.
A chinese navy helicopter what existing, floating at an “unsafe altitude,” it sitaid.
The Philippines’ Vessels Had to Maneuver toAvoid Collision They determine to suspend their study because of “This continuous harassment and the disregard for safety exhibited by the chinese maritime forces,” The Coast Guard Said.
The Coast Guard Released Videos Collaborating the Account, with among Them Showing A Chinese Coast Guard Sailing really Close to a Philippine Vessel and Another Video Showing A Chinese Helicopter Flying Low Near A Boat With a Philippines’ Flag.
No Accidents Were Reported From The Confrontation
Responding to the occurrence, Beijing Said that it has “indisputable sovereignty” over theSpratly Islands So Said the Philippine Vessels Had Entered Without Permission and Tried to “Illegally” Land on the Reef to Collect Sand Samples.
The Philippines and China Often have clashes in theSouth China Sea Beijing Claims Ownership of Almost The Entire Sea, which is Claimed in Parts by Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
To International Arbitration Court in 2016 had Ruled that Chinese Claims Over the Waterway Have no Basis in International Law.
TG/DJ (AFP, AP, Reuters)
