New provocation
China sends “monster ship” to the Philippines
Trouble between the Philippines and China: Beijing has sent a “monster ship” to a disputed area. The authorities in Manila are outraged.
The Philippines government has accused China of increasingly aggressive behavior and continued provocations in the South China Sea. The new anger over the controversial maritime area is triggered by a huge Chinese coast guard ship that was first spotted on January 4th in Philippine waters near Capones Island off the coast of the northwestern province of Zambales. Because of its size, the ship is known as the “monster ship” in the Southeast Asian island nation.
“They are pushing us to the wall,” said National Security Council deputy head Jonathan Malaya. However, the Philippines would not back down in the face of such deterrence tactics. “It is clearly a provocation and a clear attempt to intimidate our fishermen and deprive them of their legitimate livelihood,” he added, not ruling out further international arbitration in this regard. The Philippine Coast Guard had asked the “monster ship” to leave the region – but it was still close to Capones.
China rejected the Philippine allegations. The Philippines should refrain from all provocations and false accusations and prevent actions that endanger peace in the South China Sea and complicate the situation there, demanded Foreign Office spokesman Guo Jiakun in Beijing. According to him, the Chinese Coast Guard is patrolling the relevant areas in accordance with the law.
China has occupied important reefs in the region
Capone’s Island is about 130 nautical miles (240 kilometers) from the disputed Scarborough Reef. The fish-rich reef is called Huangyan Island in China. It was at the center of a military incident between the two countries in 2012, after which Beijing occupied the reef. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected China’s territorial claims in 2016. Beijing ignores the ruling.
The People’s Republic claims practically the entire South China Sea for itself. The Philippines, but also Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei, reject the claims. The resource-rich area is also considered an important global trade route. The dispute has seen repeated ship collisions and Chinese attacks with water cannons for years (You can read more background information here).
DPA
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Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
