China wants PHL archaeological vessel out of Panatag Shoal

The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Tuesday called on the Philippines to immediately pull out of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal an archaeological vessel conducting research in the disputed territory.

 

Chinese Embassy spokesperson Zhang Hua said the vessel, which Philippine officials earlier said came from Sarangani province, is conducting “illegal salvage archaeology” on an ancient Chinese shipwreck in the shoal.

 

“This infringes on China’s rights and violates relevant international conventions. These above activities by the Philippine side raised further grave concerns of the Chinese side on the situation there,” Zhang said in a statement Wednesday.

 

He added that the Chinese government should have been consulted before the archaeological ship was allowed to conduct research in the shoal.

 

China claims Panatag Shoal (Chinese name: Huangyan Island) as part of its territory, saying the country first discovered the territory during the 13th century under the Yuan Dynastry.

 

The Philippines, for its part, uses the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the basis for its claim on the shoal.

 

The international convention, of which China is also a signatory, places the disputed territory within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. In addition, the Philippines also claims the shoal as part of its territory. 

 

Last Monday, the Philippines filed a second diplomatic protest against China after Chinese aircraft allegedly “harassed” the Philippine-registered archaeological vessel. ‘Buzzing’ continues

 

Meanwhlile, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said a Chinese aircraft continues to fly low over the Philippine archaeological vessel.

 

“Napagsabihan sila na umalis sa area. Nag-buzzing ‘yung isang eroplano kahapon ng hapon. We are certain that Chinese aircraft ‘yung nag-buzzing,” Gazmin said at a separate press briefing.

 

He maintained, however, that the Philippines is not pulling out the research vessel, as well as the Coast Guard ship currently engaged in a standoff with two Chinese surveillance vessels in the shoal.

 

“Ipaglaban natin ang atin. Doon tayo sa lugar. Hindi tayo aalis,” he said.

 

Gazmin also said the Philippine government will continue working with Chinese officials to reach a diplomatic solution to the territorial dispute.

 

Standoff

 

The standoff between Philippine and Chinese vessels at the Panatag Shoal began more than a week ago when Philippine Navy officials caught eight Chinese vessels allegedly poaching in waters near the shoal.

 

Before the personnel aboard the BRP Gregorio del Pilar could arrest the fishermen, however, two Chinese "law enforcement" vessels, initially identified as surveillance ships, blocked its path.

 

Following talks between Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing, the eight Chinese fishing vessels left the area, but the cargo of allegedly poached marine life was not confiscated.

 

One of the Chinese government ships initially left the area on Saturday, but returned to the shoal within a few hours.

 

Last week, President Benigno Aquino III directed Foreign Affairs officials to work towards a peaceful solution to the dispute at Panatag Shoal.

 

On Monday, more than 4,000 American troops joined their Filipino counterparts for war games, which Philippine officials stressed were scheduled months in advance and are not meant to provoke China. — RSJ/HS, GMA News