South China Sea: U.S. commends Philippines on removal of Chinese floating barrier

U.S. commends Philippines on removal of Chinese floating barrier

Beijing had placed cordon near Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea

China Coast Guard vessels patrol past a Chinese fishing vessel at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in April 2017.   © Reuters

September 29, 2023

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A senior U.S. defense official on Thursday said the Philippines’ removal of a Chinese floating barrier near Scarborough Shoal in a disputed part of the South China Sea was “a bold step in defending their own sovereignty.”

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Lindsey Ford made the remark at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

Manila had expressed outrage over China’s placement of a long, ball-buoy barrier near the rocky outcrop 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the Philippines, the site of years of intermittent flare-ups over sovereignty and fishing rights.

The Philippines said on Monday it executed a “special operation” to remove the barrier, calling it a violation of international law.