(BGF) – The Philippine Star reported on May 22 that the Philippines called on China to respect the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines over its continental shelf, including the waters around the Ayungin shoal after detecting Chinese fishing vessels encroached in its exclusive economic zone, and escorted by a naval ship.
The Philippines filed a diplomatic protest with the Chinese embassy in Manila on the provocative and illegal presence of Chinese government ships (two CMS and one warship) around Ayungin Shoal.
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China sends ships to another Phl shoal
May 22, 2013 | By
(Photo Credit: the Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has filed a protest against what it describes as the “provocative and illegal” deployment of Chinese ships around Ayungin Shoal, which is part of the Kalayaan Island Group off Palawan.
“On May 10, 2013, we filed with the Chinese embassy in Manila our protest on the provocative and illegal presence of Chinese government ships (two CMS and one warship) around Ayungin Shoal,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez said yesterday.
Hernandez said Ayungin Shoal is an integral part of the Philippine national territory. It is located 105.77 nautical miles from Palawan and constitutes part of the 200 nautical miles of the Philippine continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“We have already told them our position regarding these vessels which have intruded in our exclusive economic zone,” Hernandez said.
The Philippines called on China to respect the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines over its continental shelf, including the waters around the shoal.
“China’s interference with the sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea is a violation of international law particularly UNCLOS, the United Nations Charter and the DOC (Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea),” Hernandez said.
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