Top Chinese fisheries official meets with Zambales fishermen

A top fisheries official from Beijing on Saturday visited Zambales and announced that China is prepared to provide assistance to local fishermen.

Beijing Fisheries Assistant Director Liu Sin Chong said he visited the country, specifically Zambales, on orders of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The visit came weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte's official visit to China as his administration moves to have closer ties with the Asian giant amid its territorial disputes with the Philippines.

Liu said Xi has ordered the immediate coordination with the Philippine government to take a look at how China could potentially provide assistance to fishermen in Masinloc, Zambales.

The Chinese official also clarified that Filipino fishermen may already freely catch fish in the Scarborough Shoal, even with the Chinese Coast Guard ships patrolling the area.

The Philippine Coast Guard has also started patrolling the disputed territory last week.

The disputed Scarborough Shoal is called Panatag and Bajo de Masinloc by Filipinos and Huangyan Island by the Chinese.

Following the visit of Duterte to China, local fishermen have already been allowed to harvest in the area, as fishermen have started to return home with huge catch of fish.

Chinese authorities also said they are open to providing additional knowledge to Filipino fishermen in terms of agriculture, aquaculture, fish cages, and other alternative livelihoods.

To achieve this, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Director Willie Cruz has been tasked to coordinate and send technicians to China for workshops.

Chinese Vice foreign Minister Liu Zhemin had said during Duterte's visit in China that the two countries have agreed to strengthen fishery cooperation in the South China Sea.

"China will support the Philippines in developing aqua-culture, fishery products processing so as to help deliver a better life for the fishermen of the Philippines," Liu said.

"The two sides will have a more exchange of views on the fishery cooperation and China will make proper arrangements," he added. —Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/ALG, GMA News