Phillipines remove Chinese barrier from the disputed shoal

Phillipines remove Chinese barrier from the disputed shoal

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context: The Philippines has removed a floating barrier installed by China to block Philippine fishing boats entering a contested area in the South China Sea.

More about the news:

• The Philippine coast guard has removed a floating barrier installed by China in a disputed area in the South China Sea. As per the Philippines, the barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law.
• China violated its fishing rights with the 300m barrier in the Scarborough Shoal.

Some facts about Scarborough Shoal:

• The Philippines described the shoal as an integral part of the Philippine national territory.
• Scarborough Shoal is within the 200-nautical-mile EEZ of the Philippines as defined by international maritime law.
• It was affirmed by a ruling of The Hague’s International Court of Arbitration.
• Beijing claims the area as part of its territory and refers to Scarborough Shoal as Huangyan Island.
• In 2012, Beijing seized control of Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines and forced Filipino fishermen to travel farther for smaller catches.

More about the South China Sea.

• The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean.
• The South China Sea is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea.
• Bordering states & territories (clockwise from north): the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.
• The Gulf of Thailand and the Gulf of Tonkin are also part of the South China Sea.
• Contesting Claims Over Islands:
  • The Paracel Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.
  • The Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Philippines.
  • The Scarborough Shoal is claimed by the Philippines, China and Taiwan.