Philippines Releases Photos Of Chinese Boats In The Scarborough Shoal

Ten images and map showing Chinese boats near a disputed shoal in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines' defense department released the pictures just hours before the Southeast Asian nations going to meet China's Premier Li Keqiang in the ASEAN summit in Laos.

Photo via ABS-CBN

 The pictures were sent by an email to journalist present in the summit. There was no explanation for the timing of the release of the photographs and a map but it was ordered by the defense minister who's present also in the summit. The photos came two days after Manila striking the "grave concern" about the increasing number of Chinese vessels in Scarborough Shoal. 

China, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei are claiming parts or all of the resource-rich South China Sea region, making it a hot spot of territorial dispute. The last four are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The move of the Philippines comes after a feud with the United States, its main ally country.

Photo via ABS-CBN

The move by the Philippines comes after a spat with the United States, its main ally, after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte criticized US President Barack Obama, resulting to the cancellation of a meeting between the two President in Laos.

China has repeatedly blamed the United States for stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually.

President Duterte wants China to abide by the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration posted last July 12 that no oce country had sovereign rights over activity in the Scarborough Shoal but Chine has refused to abide the ruling of the court.

The dispute has become more significant since the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled on July 12 that no one country had sovereign rights over activity in the Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground for Chinese, Filipino and Vietnamese.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana stated the spotted six Chinese vessels in addition to coastguard ships in the area was "a cause of grave concern".

A Philippine security official traveling with Duterte said it was a challenge for the government to explain why Filipino fishermen could not go back and fish in the area when The Hague had ruled that Scarborough was a fishing ground for all.

"We won in the arbitral court, but we could not enforce it, how can we explain that to our own fishermen?" said the official, who declined to be named.

"So, we wanted to talk to China and resolve the issue, but the situation like this is making it more difficult. The president is asking what is China's intentions in the area?"

Source: ABS-CBN