Heroic Filipino Diver Rescues South China Sea from Chinese Barrier with Knife

Chinese authorities have removed a floating barrier in the disputed South China Sea area, designed to restrict Filipino fishing boats, according to Philippine authorities. The incident marks the latest tension between Manila and Beijing regarding their conflicting maritime claims. Footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard on Monday captures a Filipino diver severing a 300-meter long string of buoys near Bajo de Masinloc, also called Scarborough Shoal. This reef, located 130 miles west of Luzon, is not only strategically important but also a vital fishing zone.

In the video, the diver equipped with a basic mask and snorkel submerges beneath the waves, skillfully employing a small knife to meticulously sever ropes. This endeavor takes place after successfully navigating through a delicate situation on a precarious fishing vessel manned by a limited crew. The footage aptly captures the intense power struggle unfolding in the South China Sea, where Manila endeavors to resist the progressively assertive claims made by Beijing over the contentious and crucial maritime passageway.

The Philippine authorities alleged on Sunday that four Chinese vessels, comprising of three Coast Guard boats and one maritime militia service boat, had erected a barrier subsequent to the arrival of a Philippine government vessel in the region. In a statement issued on Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard criticized the installation of the barrier, citing it as a breach of international law and encroachment upon Philippine sovereignty.

Beijing defended its actions on Monday, claiming "undisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and its adjacent waters." They accused the Filipino vessel of "intruding" without authorization and stated that the Chinese Coast Guard took appropriate measures within the confines of the law to halt and repel the other vessel. Wang Wenbin, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, mentioned during a routine press briefing that the operation was carried out with professional restraint.

Beijing asserts complete control over nearly the entire 1.3 million square miles of the South China Sea, along with the majority of the islands and sandbars within it, encompassing distant features several hundred miles away from the Chinese mainland.

A small crew reached the barrier near Scarborough Shoal in a native fishing boat.

Philippine Coast Guard

China has taken control of several reefs and atolls in the South China Sea over the last twenty years. They have constructed military installations, such as runways and ports, that not only challenge the Philippines' sovereignty and fishing rights but also put marine biodiversity at risk in this contentious and resource-rich waterway.

In 2016, a significant maritime dispute was settled by an international tribunal in The Hague. The ruling favored the Philippines and concluded that China has no legal grounds to assert historic rights over the majority of the South China Sea.

The Philippine Coast Guard released video exposing the severe damage on marine environment and coral reef in the seabed of Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal in the South China Sea.

Philippine Coast Guard/Facebook

The Philippines accuses China's shadowy maritime militia of destroying coral reefs in South China Sea

Beijing has disregarded the ruling.

Western experts in marine security, together with officials from the Philippines and the United States, have been growingly accusing Beijing of employing apparently civilian fishing vessels as a maritime militia. This militia serves as an unofficial, yet officially disavowable, force that China employs to assert its territorial claims in the South China Sea and other regions.

The Philippine Coast Guard has recently accused China's maritime militia of causing extensive damage to the coral near the Palawan island chain, resulting in a depleted and damaged ecosystem. Dismissing these allegations, China's foreign ministry has deemed them as untrue and without any basis.