Philippines Holds 'Special Operation' To Remove Barriers In China's South Sea Installed By China

Illustration of the Philippine coast guard ship BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410). (Wikimedia Commons/Philippine Coast Guard Facebook)

JAKARTA - The Philippines announced it was holding a'special operation' to remove floating barriers installed by China at a major fishing ground in the South China Sea, an action that could trigger tensions in the most disputed waters.

The Philippines on Sunday shared images of China's coast guard overseeing a spherical panghalang barricade near Scarborough Shoal, a 200 km (124 miles) rocky region from the Philippines, a place of sovereignty conflict and fishing rights over the years.

Hours after national security advisers pledged to take action, Philippine coast guard said they had removed the floating barrier on the orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"This barrier poses a danger to navigation, and is clearly a violation of international law. It also hinders fishing activities and livelihoods of Philippine fishermen," said Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Amento, describing the location as "an integral part of the Philippines' national region," reported Reuters on September 25.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the barrier was a violation of international law, with Manila "taking all appropriate measures to protect the country's sovereignty and the livelihood of fishermen".

Separately, Beijing on Monday said the shallow waters called Huangyan Island were "Chinese attached areas", which have an undeniable sovereignty.

"The Chinese coast guard has taken the necessary action in accordance with the law to intercept and expel Philippine ships, and related operations must be professionally restricted," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

The strategic Scarborough Shoal, named after the British cargo ship that ran aground on the atoll in the 18th century, was seized in 2012 by China, which has since continued to maintain the presence of coast guards and fishing trawlers there.

Under the leadership of the pro-Chinese former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Chinese and Philippine fishermen since 2017 enjoyed peaceful coexistence in these shallow waters, known for their stunning greenish blue lagoon, serving as a shelter for fishing boats during a storm.

The control over shallow waters is a sensitive issue for China, because it is part of a legal case filed by the Philippines at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands which in 2016 ruled Beijing's claim to 90 percent of the South China Sea had no basis based on international law.

China refuses to recognize this important decision.

Although the court did not decide on sovereignty over these shallow waters, located in the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone, the court said the area was a traditional fishing location for several countries, while the Bamboo Curtain country barricades violated the law.