Chinese navy’s presence in South China Sea ‘worrisome’, Philippines’ Marcos says

The BFAR vessel, which the PCG said was shadowed and blocked by Chinese coastguard ships, also distributed fuel to Filipino fishermen in the area.

The BRP Datu Sanday was supplying fuel to fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal when it was harassed by a China coastguard vessel and three other Chinese ships on February 22, the Philippine coastguard said.

Three of the four Chinese vessels came within 100m (328 feet) of Datu Sanday’s bow, it said in an incident report that also listed shadowing, vessel transponder jamming and other “dangerous manoeuvres”.

Scarborough Shoal – a triangular chain of reefs and rocks – has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.

Since then, Beijing has deployed patrol boats that Manila says harass Philippine vessels and prevent Filipino fishermen from accessing a fish-rich lagoon there.

01:49

Chinese floating barrier blocks entrance to Philippine ships at South China Sea flashpoint

Scarborough Shoal lies 240km (150 miles) west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon and nearly 900km from the nearest major Chinese land mass of Hainan.

China claims almost the entire sea and has ignored an international tribunal ruling that its assertions have no legal basis.

Tense stand-offs between China and the Philippines around disputed reefs last year saw collisions and Chinese ships blasting water cannon at Philippine boats.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse