MANILA: China has refuted Philippine allegations that a Chinese fishing vessel abandoned 22 Filipinos after it sank their boat in the South China Sea. As pressure builds on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to take a tougher line, he has made no mention of Sunday’s incident during any of the lengthy and unscripted speeches he has since given.
However, his defense minister, navy chief and spokesman have publicly denounced the Chinese crew and his foreign minister said he had lodged a protest with Beijing.
China’s embassy in Manila clarified that the crew had sought to rescue the Filipino fishermen but fled after being “suddenly besieged by seven or eight Filipino fishing boats”. “There was no such thing as (a) ‘hit-and-run’ and would handle the issue in a “serious and responsible manner”.
The sinking of Philippine boat took place on Sunday near the Reed Bank, the site of untapped gas deposits that an international arbitration court in 2016 ruled the Philippines had sovereign rights to exploit. Beijing disputes that and claims it to be under Chinese influence.
The boat sinking issue could complicate what many say the determined efforts by Duterte to build a strong relationship with China. The U.S. continues to remain wary about China’s maritime militarization and its bullying tactics in the region by denying Manila’s access to its own offshore oil and gas reserves. (Agencies)
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