China has extended its blockade of the Scarborough Shoal in the waters of the Philippines by installing a 352-metres floating-barrier that blocks its lagoon entrance. China is consistently harassing the Philippines and occupying its waters and its shoals. China is also blocking access to the Philippines to the Sabina Shoal. With its latest actions, China has stranded hundreds of Filipino fisherman who used to fish in the area.
Chinese fishing vessels are being used along with the Chinese Coast Guard to blockade the Scarborough Shoal. The Chinese fishing fleet is coordinated by the government to extend China’s presence in international waters and harass its targets.
In 2016, an international tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) had adjudicated that China’s claims over the Scarborough Shoal were invalid and that Philippines fishing boats should not be blacked from accessing the shoal. China decried the tribunal and its decision as null and void.
China is increasingly pressuring the Philippines to surrender a large section of its maritime waters in what is a clear and very public imperialist aggression against a small state.
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