Philippines maritime dispute with China

Philippines shuffles ships in maritime standoff with China

But the tense situation is not yet resolved, as a Philippine coast guard boat remains at the scene, and a third Chinese ship has arrived, said Raul Hernandez, a spokesman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.


The Philippines sent the Gregorio del Pilar to the area of Scarborough Shoal on Sunday after surveillance aircraft spotted eight Chinese fishing boats anchored inside the lagoon.

Later Tuesday, the Gregorio del Pilar reported that the two Chinese surveillance ships had arrived and taken up a position at the mouth of the lagoon, blocking the way to the fishing boats and "preventing the arrest" of the fishermen.

The interests of different nations include acquiring fishing areas around the two archipelagos, the exploitation of crude oil and natural gas beneath the Spratly Islands, and the strategic control of a core position.

China urged “direct” talks with Southeast Asian nations earlier this month to resolve overlapping maritime disputes, a day after regional leaders pledged to work towards easing tensions.

China and several Asian countries have rival claims to uninhabited islands in the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in hydrocarbons and straddles strategic shipping lanes vital to global trade.

Leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations earlier this month stressed the importance of a decade-old declaration on the conduct of the parties (DOC), pledging to promote peace in the disputed area.

Sources:
cnn.com
en.wikipedia
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globalnation
radioaustralia