China Coast Guard Rescues Filipino Fishermen In Panatag Shoal
Chinese coast guard ships have rescued two Filipino
fishermen in bad weather at a disputed shoal, the Philippine coast guard said
Friday, in a show of how President Rodrigo Duterte has turned once-frosty
relations with Beijing.
According to Philippine Coast Guard Spokesman Armand Balilo,
Chinese coast guard officials notified them of the rescue in the vicinity of
Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines and asked how the two can be
handed over to Philippine authorities.
Furthermore, the Philippines sent a newly acquired patrol
ship from Japan, the BRP Tubbataha, but vessel could not immediately link up
with the Chinese coast guard ships because of large waves in the high seas off
Scarborough, Balilo stated.
“This shows you that rescuing people at sea is beyond such
conflicts,” he said.
China seized the shoal in 2012 after a tense territorial
standoff with Philippine government ships, and Chinese coast guard had blocked
Filipinos from fishing there, prompting the Philippine government to bring the
dispute to international arbitration.
Moreover, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in
July that China has violated the rights of Filipino fishermen when it blocked
them from the rich fishing area.
The tribunal also invalidated China’s sweeping territorial
claims in the South China Sea. Beijing refused to take part in the proceedings,
saying the tribunal has no jurisdiction in territorial disputes.
President Duterte, who took office in June, has taken steps
to repair relations with Beijing.
After he met Chinese President Xi Jinping on a state visit
to China in October, Filipinos were allowed back to fish near the shoal.
The Philippine coast guard said it has also resumed patrols
in the disputed waters.
China Coast Guard Rescues Filipino Fishermen In Panatag Shoal
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December 02, 2016
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