Philippines summons Chinese envoy to protest naval intrusion

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine authorities on Monday summoned the Chinese language ambassador to protest what it stated was the “unlawful incursion” of a Chinese language navy ship into the nation’s waters and to demand that Beijing order its ships to respect the nation’s territory and comply with worldwide regulation, officers stated.

The Division of International Affairs in Manila stated a reconnaissance ship of China’s Folks’s Liberation Military crossed into the Sulu Sea and cruised off the western Palawan and close by Mindoro provinces from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 with out permission and in violation of Philippine sovereignty.

Philippine International Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro summoned Beijing’s envoy Huang Xilian and “demanded that China respect Philippine territory and maritime jurisdiction and to adjust to its obligations underneath worldwide regulation,” the division stated in an announcement.

It added that Lazaro requested China to “direct its vessels to desist from getting into Philippine waters uninvited and with out permission.”

A Philippine navy ship repeatedly ordered the Chinese language vessel to go away the nation’s waters instantly however the vessel responded that it was exercising “harmless passage,” a declare which the Philippine authorities disputed.

The Chinese language vessel “didn’t comply with a monitor that may be thought of as steady and expeditious, lingering within the Sulu Sea for 3 days,” the overseas affairs division stated.

International ships will be allowed to go by way of archipelagic and territorial waters of one other nation underneath sure restrictions — together with that they need to not perform fishing, surveillance and analysis with out a allow or conduct any exercise that may undermine the safety of the coastal state.

Chinese language embassy officers didn’t instantly react to the Philippine authorities assertion.

The incident sparked a better degree of alarm as a result of it occurred inside the nation’s territory and never within the disputed South China Sea, the place China, the Philippines and 4 different governments have had territorial disputes for many years, a army official stated.

The Chinese language navy ship could have been shadowing an American army ship, which was maneuvering off Palawan on the time as a part of a government-authorized train with Philippine marines, stated the official, who spoke on situation of anonymity due to an absence of authority to debate the delicate difficulty publicly.

The Philippine navy ship approached as shut as 1 nautical mile (1.8 kilometers) from the Chinese language navy ship to watch its motion till it moved away, the official stated.