In a short statement, the guard said it expelled the Philippine ships from Huangyan “in accordance with the law” for “trespassing” into the waters adjacent to the island.
Huangyan is the Chinese name for Scarborough Atoll, located in the waters of the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety, despite complaints from neighboring countries.
This incident follows one last month, when Beijing alleged that 34 Filipino citizens “illegally landed” on Sandy Cay (known in China as Tiexian), another island in the South China Sea whose sovereignty is disputed by China and the Philippines. among other countries.
These waters, fundamental to global maritime trade and rich in natural resources, have been the scene of several clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months.
Chinese authorities claim nearly the entire South China Sea, including the Paracel and Spratly archipelagos, a claim that overlaps with the 200-mile exclusive economic zones of countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia under international law. .
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has strengthened defense ties with the United States and criticized Beijing over sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.
Beijing alleges historical reasons, but in 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration confirmed Manila’s claim against the claims of the Chinese authorities, a decision that the Asian power refused to comply with.
