Philippine fishermen battered by years of territorial disputes in the South China Sea are hoping for full access to a resource-rich lagoon that they say is guarded by the China Coast Guard, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr kicks off his three-day visit to China.
“I just wish we could freely fish in Scarborough with no one shooing us away,” Filipino fisherman Marvin Mayo said in the vernacular, referring to the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
“I also wish that none would drive us out each time we seek sanctuary in Scarborough when there is bad weather,” he added.
The rocks in the 150 sq km shoal serve as a barrier to strong waves, and are claimed by both the Philippines and China.
In his first state visit outside Southeast Asia, President Marcos headed to Beijing on Tuesday (Jan 3) aiming to bolster trade and bilateral ties.
He will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and other high-ranking officials, and discuss areas of cooperation, including agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure, and tourism.
Among a number of agreements that the Philippines hopes to sign with Beijing is one aimed at preventing miscommunication over disputed waters in the South China Sea – a move that could cool tensions over the thorniest issue between the two countries.
The two sides have repeatedly clashed over China’s activities in the South China Sea, including Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over much of the area’s islands and waters.
The Scarborough Shoal, a triangle of reefs and rocks, was the site of a tense standoff between the Philippines and China in 2012.
The standoff led to the Philippines filing a suit before an arbitral tribunal, which ruled in 2016 that China’s encompassing of the nine-dash line claim was invalid.
It also ruled that the shoal, which is rich in marine resources, is a common fishing ground for artisanal and small-scale fishermen.
Despite the international panel’s ruling, China’s Coast Guard still controls access to Scarborough’s prized inner lagoon known for its bountiful catches.