The Philippines Removes Chinese Barrier on Disputed Waters

Members of a fishing village in Pagudpud, Philippines prepare their fishing nets for the evening fishing offshore (Flickr).

The Philippine Coast Guard removed a barrier implemented by the Chinese Coast Guard to prevent Filipino fishing boats from entering the Scarborough Shoal in compliance with a presidential order on September 25. The installation of the 980-foot-long barrier in the shoal was condemned as a violation of international law and the Philippines' sovereignty by Philippine officials. The shoal has a long history of ownership disputes between China and neighboring Asian countries.

Additionally, the Philippines states that they will not back down despite Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin’s warning to not “provoke and stir up trouble” in response to the barrier removal. Nevertheless, the Filipino Coast Guard’s operations raise concerns, as they will most likely strain the already-deteriorating relations between the two nations. 

Since the Chinese government seized the shoal in 2012, they have claimed over 90 percent of the South China Sea while refusing access for Filipino fishing boats at the barrier. Chinese coast guard ships have also prevented Philippine government vessels from transporting supplies and personnel to the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal, a policy that the Philippine government has continuously opposed. 

Due to the shoal’s rich fish, gas, and oil reserves and its role as a crucial global trade route, many neighboring countries have expressed anger at the Chinese government’s actions as well.

"Our country strongly opposes any conduct that heightens tension in the South China Sea," said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno at a routine press conference. For Japan, China’s claim on the South China Sea will directly impact Japanese supply chains and energy imports. The economic stake involved in the conflict urges Japan to ally with nearby nations impacted by China’s actions.

Control of the Scarborough Shoal is a sensitive matter for China since it was part of a lawsuit filed by the Philippines at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which found that Beijing's claim to 90 percent of the South China Sea had no legal basis in 2016. This judgment increased diplomatic pressure on China, curbing their ambitions for military expansion in the area. Nonetheless, China has refused to recognize the ruling and chooses to stand firm on its expansive claims.

While the United States makes no claim to the sea waterway, in the past few decades, U.S. Navy ships and fighter jets have conducted patrols to contest China's sweeping claims and to support the freedom of navigation and overflight. U.S. leaders express great interest in maintaining free seas for both economic prosperity and national security. However, China has ordered the United States to avoid interfering in what it claims is a strictly Asian dispute. 

Washington has stated that it is committed to defending the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia—even if Filipino forces, ships, or aircraft are attacked in the South China Sea.