The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has insisted that the West Philippine Sea is a “traditional fishing ground” for Chinese fishermen, Unang Balita reported on Monday.
This was the embassy’s response to the diplomatic protest filed by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) regarding the presence of Chinese vessels in the Julian Felipe Reef in April.
The vessels, reportedly numbering more than 100, were found illegally operating in the maritime waters of Julian Felipe Reef, which is a low-tide elevation within the territorial sea of relevant high tide features in the Kalayaan Island Group, including Chigua Reef, on April 4, 2022, the DFA said.
But according to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, the DFA and the Chinese government have contradicting claims over the maritime issue.
China claims large swathes of the South China Sea and continues to assert its presence in the strategic waterway, despite an arbitration ruling in 2016 invalidating Beijing’s claim.