Manila — The United States Embassy in Manila has publicly censured China for what it describes as aggressive actions toward a Philippine Navy vessel near the contested waters of Bajo de Masinloc, known internationally as Scarborough Shoal.
According to Philippines News Agency, there was a call for the Chinese military to halt its conduct that was seen as threatening regional peace. The statement condemned the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) ongoing behavior of swarming and tailing not only the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard but also civilian fishing and other vessels in the vicinity of Scarborough Reef. The United States underscored the importance of upholding international law, urging the People's Republic of China (PRC) to respect navigational rights and freedoms that are afforded to all states.
The Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command had earlier stated that on October 30, they took action against the BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39), a Philippine warship, upon its entrance into what China considers adjacent waters to Huangyan Dao, the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal. Beijing maintains a claim of sovereignty over this area.
In response to the situation, Col. Medel Aguilar, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, refuted China's claim of thwarting the Filipino ship's patrol mission, stating that an unlawful occupant has no authority to prevent the rightful owner from accessing their property. Additionally, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año clarified on Tuesday that the BRP Conrado Yap was carrying out standard patrol operations around Bajo de Masinloc.
Notably, a ruling by the Arbitral Tribunal in July 2016 under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea determined that Scarborough Shoal has been a traditional fishing ground for multiple nationalities, including Filipinos, Chinese, and Vietnamese, and that China had illegally prevented Filipino fishermen from exercising their traditional fishing rights there since May 2012.
Located 124 nautical miles from Masinloc, Zambales, the coral reef sits within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, a significant distance of at least 472 nautical miles from the nearest Chinese coast.