The citation comes after an incident that caused damage to a Philippine coast guard ship. The Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the Philippine ships of “violating Chinese sovereignty.”
The Philippines announced on Thursday that it had summoned a representative from the Chinese embassy in Manila following an incident between ships from the two countries in disputed waters in the South China Sea.
“The Philippines protested against the harassment, (…) blockade, dangerous maneuvers, use of water cannons and other aggressive actions by Chinese coast guard ships and Chinese maritime militias against Philippine ships,” Manila diplomacy said.
The Philippine Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Zhou Zhiyong, number two at the Chinese embassy in Manila, over an incident that caused damage to a Philippine coast guard ship and a fisheries agency ship on Tuesday.
“China’s aggressive actions, especially the use of water cannons, have caused damage to ships. The Philippines demanded that Chinese ships immediately leave Masinloc Atoll and its surroundings“said the ministry, in a statement.
On Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry accused Philippine ships of “violating Chinese sovereignty” after entering disputed waters adjacent to Scarborough Atoll (known in the Philippines as Masinloc).
In a press conference, Chinese diplomatic spokesperson Lin Jian said the Chinese coast guard carried out its duties “in accordance with the law and guaranteeing China’s territorial integrity,” expelling two official ships from the Philippines.
“We urge the Philippines to immediately stop these provocations and not question China’s firm determination to defend its sovereignty,” the spokesperson added.
In March, Beijing claimed that 34 Filipino citizens “illegally landed” on Sandy Cay. (known in China as Tiexian), another island in the South China Sea whose sovereignty is disputed by China and the Philippines, among other countries.
These waters, fundamental for global maritime trade and rich in natural resources, have been the scene of several clashes between Chinese and Filipino ships in recent months.
Chinese authorities claim almost the entire South China Sea, including the Paracels and Spratly archipelagos.a claim that overlaps with the 200-mile exclusive economic zones of countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia under international law.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has strengthened defense ties with the United States and criticized Beijing for its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.
Beijing alleges historical reasons, but in 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration confirmed Manila’s claim against the claims of the Chinese authorities, a decision that the Asian power refused to abide by.
Source: Observadora
