China ‘Expels’ Philippines Warship from Near South China Sea Island

Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) expelled a Philippines warship for ‘intruding’ into waters near Huangyan Island in South China Sea.

A Philippine navy gunboat on Tuesday was observed ‘trespassing’ into the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Island despite repeated dissuasion and warnings from the Chinese side, CCG spokesperson Gan Yu said in a statement.

“CCG vessels lawfully took necessary measures such as following and monitoring, warning off and route controlling, to drive away the Philippine warship,” he said.

Gan said that China holds indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and its adjacent waters, and has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters.

The actions of the Philippine side violated Chinese sovereignty and seriously contravened international law and basic norms of international relations, said the statement, urging the Philippine side to immediately stop its acts of infringement.

Manila has so far not commented on the incident. Its position is that the so called Huangyan Island occurs within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines and that Chinese vessels are violating its jurisdiction.