Philippine authorities have accused China of setting up obstacles near a reef in the South China Sea that is disputed between China and the Philippines.
The Chinese government, on the other hand, countered that the Philippines had violated China's sovereignty.
The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed the installation of the obstruction around a rocky reef called Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, more than 200 kilometers west of Luzon Island.
On February 22nd, a Chinese Coast Guard ship set up an obstacle made up of white floating balls to block the entrance to a reef, interfering with the navigation of a Philippine fishing boat.
He also criticized the Chinese response, saying that Chinese ships surrounded the Philippine government vessel and blocked its path.
Scarborough Shoal is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, but China has been under its effective control since 2012, and a 2016 international arbitration tribunal ruled that China has violated the Philippines' fishing rights. It has been certified that there is.
At a press conference on the 26th, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that the Philippines had violated China's sovereignty, and countered that ``we must take necessary measures to resolutely protect our sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.''
At the site, in September last year, the Chinese side set up obstacles around the reef, and the Philippine side used force to remove them, causing tensions to temporarily rise on both sides.