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In U-turn, Philippine navy acknowledges gunboat presence near disputed Scarborough Shoal

arifnsn October 11, 2023

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The Philippine military has confirmed its navy ship and a Chinese coastguard vessel engaged in a brief encounter in the disputed South China Sea’s Scarborough Shoal, after previously saying it had no security presence there as tensions deepen over the waterway.

Military chief General Romeo Brawner acknowledged the gunboat was on a maritime patrol during Tuesday’s incident but rejected claims it was chased away by China’s coastguard.

“We verified that we have a navy ship in Bajo de Masinloc but its mission is for maritime patrol. It was sailing and China’s coastguard was there to challenge it. The navy ship continued to sail and it was not driven away,” Brawner said.

Manila calls the fish-rich shoal Bajo de Masinloc, which Beijing has controlled since 2012.

An aerial view of the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal during a maritime surveillance flight by the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Photo: AFP

The Chinese coastguard said it “took measures to drive away the Philippine vessel that ignored repeated warnings and allegedly intruded into its waters”.

Brawner dismissed that assertion as “propaganda”, saying the Chinese leadership was “trying to make themselves look good before their internal audience”.

China said it has “indisputable sovereignty” over the shoal, which it calls Huangyan Island.

The general earlier said the coastguard was present in Scarborough, not the navy, despite dismantling a Chinese-installed floating barrier in the strategic outcrop last month, The Manila Bulletin reported.

He also said the armed forces “will never allow” the country’s naval ships to be forced out of its exclusive economic zone in the hotly-contested waters.

The foreign ministry on Monday urged the Philippines to “take seriously China’s concerns” and “stop making provocations at sea”.

The remarks were in response to Manila, which said Beijing’s “irresponsible” actions in the waterway could lead to its “global isolation”.

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The latest flare-up came as the Philippines and Australia said a joint sail in the South China Sea would go ahead as planned.

An “appropriate” maritime location for the exercise would be announced in due course, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said during a meeting with her Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo in Adelaide on Tuesday.

Manalo said the South China Sea “remains a foremost regional concern”, adding the “enduring bonds between our nations remain rooted in the values of democracy, sovereignty, and a deep commitment to the rule of law amid an ever-changing world”.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost all the South China Sea – where the Philippines and several other nations have competing claims – and has rejected a 2016 international ruling on the territorial dispute in Manila’s favour.

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