By Junex Doronio

“When you’re weak, pretend that you’re strong.” — Sun Tzu

APPARENTLY APPLYING THE “ART OF WAR” by military genius Sun Tzu, China just laughed at the removal by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) of the floating barrier installed by the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) in Scarborough Shoal following the marching order of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año.

“What the Philippines did looks like nothing more than self-amusement,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a press conference on Wednesday, September 27.

Wang issued the statement when asked if it’s true that China removed the remnants of its floating barrier from the shoal as reported by the PCG and if China’s position on its claim over Scarborough Shoal has somehow changed.

“I would like to reiterate that Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal) has always been China’s territory… China will continue to safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests over Huangyan Dao (Scarborough Shoal),” he maintained.

Earlier, PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela said, “The decisive action of the PCG to remove the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines’ sovereignty over the shoal.”

BDM or Scarborough Shoal, located 229.6 kilometers (124 nautical miles) away from Zambales province, is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is considered one of the traditional fishing grounds for Filipinos.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) defines an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as generally extending 200 nautical miles from shore, within which the coastal state has the right to explore and exploit, and the responsibility to conserve and manage, both living and non-living resources.

“The 2016 Arbitral Award has affirmed that BDM is the traditional fishing ground of Filipino fishermen. Thus, any obstruction hindering the livelihoods of Filipino fisherfolk in the shoal violates international law. It also infringes on the Philippines’ sovereignty over BDM,” Tarriela pointed out. (ai/mnm)