China now taking positions to deny Philippines access to key sea areas
Manila: A maritime expert believes that Chinese maritime militia vessels posing as fishing boats are edging closer to Palawan as part of a ploy to restrict access by Filipinos to key areas in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Jay Batongbacal, a maritime law professor at the University of the Philippines, on Wednesday told Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network the Chinese maritime militia anchored at Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal could quickly interdict Philippine ships sailing out to fish, resupplying Filipino military outposts or exploring for oil and gas off Palawan.
“These vessels are therefore part of Chinese activities to eventually cut the Philippines off from the West Philippine Sea,” he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday in reaction to the Inquirer’s report on the “swarming presence” of Chinese militia vessels at Iroquois and Sabina.
The reef and the shoal are located within the country’s 370-kilometre exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
It is located much closer to Palawan than Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef.
IBNS
Senior Staff Reporter at Northeast Herald, covering news from Tripura and Northeast India.
Related Articles
Canada to begin US trade talks in January, Canadian PM Carney says
Ottawa/IBNS: Canada will formally begin trade talks with the United States in January on renewing the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower to surpass Burj Khalifa, set to become world’s tallest building
The Jeddah Tower, set to become the world’s tallest building at over 1,000 meters, has reached nearly 80 floors since construction resumed in January 2025.
What is Chhayanaut—and why Islamists set it on fire in Dhaka amid protests over Hadi's death?
The premises of Chhayanaut, a prominent Bengali cultural organisation in Bangladesh, were vandalised and set ablaze in Dhaka early Friday following the death of anti-India political leader Sharif Osman Hadi, according to media reports.
No space for such violence: Yunus govt reacts over Hindu man's killing in Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s interim government on Friday condemned the lynching of a Hindu man accused of blasphemy amid a fresh wave of violence linked to ongoing nationwide protests following the killing of a student leader.
Latest News
Canada to begin US trade talks in January, Canadian PM Carney says
Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower to surpass Burj Khalifa, set to become world’s tallest building
Viral video of foreign tourists exploring New Delhi with a local auto rickshaw driver steals hearts!
Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa welcome their second child
