BBC News Top Stories-World South China Sea Philippines says Beijing installed floating barrier in contested area
September 24, 2023 3 min 434 words
这则报道再次凸显了南海争端的紧张局势。菲律宾指责中国在南海争议地区安装了“浮动屏障”，阻止了渔船进入斯卡伯勒暗沙的争议水域。这一行动进一步加剧了中国在南海的领土争端，对于南海丰富的渔业和潜在的石油天然气资源，多国都抱有高度关切。 菲律宾海岸警卫队称，这个长达300米（1,000英尺）的障碍物正在剥夺渔民的生计。此前，中国于2012年占领了斯卡伯勒暗沙，使菲律宾渔民不得不前往更远的地方寻找更少的渔获。南海争端引发了多国的不满，包括菲律宾、越南、台湾、马来西亚和文莱。 这一事件也反映了美国在南海问题上的角色。尽管美国声称在领土争端中不持立场，但其派遣军舰和飞机进入争议岛屿附近进行“航行自由”行动，引起中国的反感。南海争端的复杂性和紧张局势需要各方以冷静和谨慎的态度处理，以维护地区的和平与稳定。
The Philippines has accused China of installing a "floating barrier" to stop fishing boats from entering a disputed area in the South China Sea.
The Philippines' coast guard said the 300m (1,000ft) obstacle was preventing fishermen from working in a lagoon in the Scarborough Shoal.
China claims more than 90% of the South China Sea and seized the shoal in 2012.
Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said the barrier was discovered by a patrol on Friday.
Three Chinese coast guard boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the barrier when the Philippine vessel arrived, he said.
The Chinese boats issued 15 radio challenges and accused the Philippine ship and fishermen of violating international and China's laws, before moving away "upon realising the presence of media personnel onboard the (Filipino) vessel", he said.
China's embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to a request for comment, Reuters news agency said.
Cmdr Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said the said the barrier was "depriving [fishermen] of their livelihood".
He added that Filipino fishermen say China typically installs such barriers when they monitor a large number of fishermen in the area.
He said his organisation would work with concerned governments but would "uphold our maritime rights and protect our maritime domains".
The South China Sea is a rich fishing ground that is believed to hold vast oil and gas reserves. More than half of the world's fishing vessels operate in this area.
China's claims - which include sovereignty over land parcels and their adjacent waters - have angered not just the Philippines but also Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols.
The US says it does not take sides in territorial disputes, but has sent military ships and planes near disputed islands in what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations.
Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches.
It later allowed the Philippines to fish nearby when relations improved under former President Rodrigo Duterte.
However, tensions have heightened since Ferdinand Marcos Jr became president last year.
President Marcos Jr restored security ties with the US and in early 2023 granted American troops wider access to Philippine military bases.
This angered China as a larger US presence in the Philippines provides Washington with an arc of alliances stretching from South Korea and Japan to the north to Australia in the south.