Filipino patience running out over China’s latest incursion

Over the years, there have been numerous harassment and intimidation attacks by the China Coast Guard (CCG) against Philippine vessels, most recently on December 17 when CCG vessel 5205 passed dangerously close to a boat carrying food, noche buena packages, and others Relief supplies were delivered by troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

This recent incident in Ayungin Shoal, where the same Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5205 shadowed the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) patrol vessel BRP Malapascua and aimed a military laser at it – resulting in the temporary blindness of some Filipino crews – is causing more and more Filipinos to become more angry about it to become how the Chinese invaded our territory.

Worse, the Chinese are now claiming the area as their own, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman saying it was the PCG ship, which did not have a permit, “entered” the waters, when in fact Ayungin Shoal is about 105 nautical miles away lies miles off Palawan, well within the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.

As Congressman Rufus Rodriguez said, “How can we invade our own territory?”

Concerns have also been expressed by members of the international community at this blatant type of aggression and intimidation by China, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and Denmark, who have singled out China for its dangerous and provocative actions.

Canada called China’s actions “imperative” and “contrary to international law and contrary to the maintenance of regional peace and stability and the rules-based international order,” while both Germany and Denmark urged China to adhere to the UN convention to hold on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitration Award of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which is “legal and binding”.

A friend in the diplomatic corps told me that China’s actions were becoming “more and more unscrupulous and provocative,” and even absurdly accused the US of orchestrating the arbitration. Absolutely not true – it was China’s aggression that prompted our decision to bring the case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated China’s far-reaching maritime claims, including its ridiculous nine-dash line with no basis in international law.

Filipinos were extremely pleased when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. summoned the Chinese Ambassador to this recent incident involving a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. As far as I am informed, the President was cordial, but at the same time very firm and clear when he expressed his serious concern about the “increasing frequency of actions by China against the Philippine Coast Guard and Filipino fishermen in their bancas”.

Filipino fishermen have long suffered intimidation and restrictive measures from Chinese vessels that deprive them of their livelihood, with reports that they have been threatened or their fishing gear confiscated. Numerous protests have also been filed against Chinese vessels’ illegal fishing activities in disputed areas in the South China Sea, with other applicant nations such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia complaining that Chinese fishing fleets are encroaching on their sea areas.

In fact, the European Union is being asked to impose sanctions on Chinese fishing vessels for suspected illegal fishing activities. An independent study commissioned by the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH) last December into “China’s role and impact on global fisheries and aquaculture” showed that the large number of Chinese high-seas fleets, which are being disrupted by techniques such as shutting down their identification system increase the possibility of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing violations.

According to the study, “One of the main environmental impacts of the Chinese fishing fleet on the EU high seas fisheries is the depletion of fish stocks, which is accompanied by environmental degradation and reduced resource availability for all stakeholders involved. ”

During US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to the fishing community of Tagburo in Palawan last November, she spoke of the risk fishing communities face “when foreign vessels enter Philippine waters and illegally deplete fish stocks; when they harass and intimidate local fishermen; when they pollute the ocean and destroy the marine ecosystem.”

If one can recall, in March 2021 over 200 Chinese fishing vessels were seen at Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) with reports that they have been anchored in the area since December 2020, raising fears of “possible overfishing and destruction of the marine environment, as well as Risks to the safety of navigation” in the western Philippine Sea.

Given these numerous incidents in the past, no one can really blame Filipinos for the ongoing and growing anger and distrust towards China. This latest incident has also prompted many enlightened lawmakers to consider working with countries other than the United States to maintain peace and security at sea in the region.

Certainly we cannot and must not ‘drop the ball’ here, as happened in 2012 when we ‘lost’ the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

I’ve said many times – Filipinos are a patient people and while everyone desires a peaceful resolution to all of these incidents that have happened time and time again over the years, we all realize that “what’s ours is ours”, period . We claim nothing outside of what is clearly within our territorial waters.

As President Marcos said, “We have no conflict with China; The problem we have is that China is claiming territory that is ours.”

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