Images: Reuters Berita 24 English - On Tuesday, the Philippines announced that it has filed a diplomatic protest with China over Beijing'...
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| Images: Reuters |
The Chinese warships were accused of disturbing a cooperative marine scientific research mission as well as energy development efforts at two sites in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, according to a statement from the foreign ministry (EEZ).
It also condemned China's yearly fishing restrictions aimed at replenishing fish stocks, which includes waters within Vietnam's and the Philippines' exclusive economic zones.
A request for comment from China's embassy in Manila on the Philippine assertions, which alluded to events in March and April, was not immediately returned.
The coast guard's actions, according to the foreign ministry, are "not consistent with innocent passage and are evident infringement of Philippine maritime jurisdiction."
It did not explain why it took almost a month to respond to the instances.
The protest highlights the difficulties that President-elect Ferdinand Marcos will face in forging closer economic connections with China while avoiding appearing to cave over what the military perceives as Beijing's illegal maritime provocations.
Marcos, whose election victory on May 9 was seen as more favorable to Beijing than to Washington by observers, warned last week that he would defend sovereign territory and stand up to Chinese aggression, in his most forceful foreign policy remarks yet.
This came after a chat with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which he stated that bilateral relations would be elevated to a new level.
The Philippines and China have had a tense relationship in the past over Beijing's expansive territorial claims and the actions of its coast guard and fishing fleet in the South China Sea, which sees at least $2.4 million in seaborne trade pass through each year.
