South China Sea: Filipino fisherman tells Chinese ship ‘go away’ from disputed shoal, ‘this is not your territory’

A Filipino fisherman protested the Chinese coastguard’s aggression in the South China Sea, where he said Chinese officers drove him away from a disputed shoal

In past disputes over the Scarborough Shoal, Beijing has asserted China’s sovereignty and the right to defend the rich fishing atoll from encroachments

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A Chinese coastguard ship passes by a Philippine fishing boat at the disputed Scarborough Shoal. Photo: Joely Saligan/AP

Published: 10:00pm, 23 Jan 2024Updated: 2:06am, 24 Jan 2024

A Filipino fishing boat captain protested on Tuesday the Chinese coastguard’s aggression in the disputed South China Sea, where he said Chinese officers drove him and his men away from a disputed shoal and ordered them to dump their catch back to sea.

The face-to-face confrontation on January 12, which Filipino fisherman Joely Saligan and his men reported belatedly to Manila’s coastguard after returning from the sea voyage, is testing efforts by China and Philippines to de-escalate tensions in a potential Asian flashpoint.

At a January 17 meeting in Shanghai, Beijing and Manila agreed to take steps to ease tensions after a year of high-seas territorial face-offs between their ships in the sea passage, one of the world’s busiest.

The hostilities have sparked fears of a major armed conflict that could involve Washington, Manila’s long-time treaty ally.

A Chinese coastguard vessel manoeuvres beside the Philippine coastguard ship BRP Cabra as they approach Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, during a resupply mission on the disputed South China Sea. Photo: AP

The fishermen, led by Saligan, reported to the Philippine coastguard that Chinese coastguard personnel drove them away from the disputed Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines on January 12 and ordered them to dump their catch of fish and seashells back to the sea.