Filipino Coast Guard Barriers and Consequences

Photo Via Associated Press

MAGGIE YANG: The Filipino Coast Guard removed a floating barrier installed by China to prevent Filipino boats from fishing in a contested region of the South China Sea on September 25, 2023. A released video showed a Filipino diver cutting a 300 meter long string of buoys near Scarborough Shoal, a fertile fishing ground west of Luzon. 

Previously in 2012, the Chinese Coast Guard seized the shoal—which the Chinese government defended as taking “necessary measures”—in addition to claiming more than 90 percent of the South China Sea. The South China Sea, where more than half of the world’s fishing vessels operate, has largely remained in Chinese claims due to the country’s island-building projects and naval patrols in the area.

The removal of the barrier was the result of direct orders from Filipino President Ferdinand E. Marcos Jr., who has taken a more aggressive foreign policy approach to China since taking office in June 2022. While conflict in the shoal usually indicated aggressive activities against Filipino vessels on behalf of the Chinese Coast Guard, the removal of the aforementioned barrier notably represented the Filipino initiative to resist China’s assertion of territorial control in the South China Sea.

Following the Filipino Coast Guard’s removal of the anchor that held the rope in place, China had no choice but to remove the barrier from the shoal. Former Chinese military officer Song Zhongping asserted that the Filipino Coast Guard cut the rope because the U.S. had permitted the Philippines to “confront China in the South China Sea.” His assumption of U.S. intent to defend Filipino opposition to China unveils the ongoing tension between China and the U.S. in the South China Sea.

Wang Wenbin, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson for China, declared strongly in his regular press conference on September 26, 2023, that Chinese determination to “safeguard its sovereignty” and maritime interests in the South China Sea is “unwavering.”

“We call on the Philippines not to make provocation or stir up trouble,” Wenbin concluded in his brief statement. Ever since Marcos Jr. became President, the Philippines has strengthened its security alliance with the U.S., and increasing American access to Filipino military bases poses a potential threat to Chinese national security. However, as Wenbin’s response indicates, China continues to uphold its widespread presence in the South China Sea, keeping a close eye on territorial challenges on behalf of Southeast Asia.

Despite China’s assertion of superiority over Filipino claims to the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippines remains unwilling to simply hand over ownership of the region. Filipino Coast Guard Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Terriela, claimed on the same day that “the barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law.” The Filipino government expressed support for its traditional claims to the region of the South China Sea under contention.

"The Philippine Coast Guard remains committed to upholding international law, safeguarding the welfare of Filipino fisherfolk, and protecting the rights of the Philippines in its territorial waters," Tarriela reassured citizens. As long as the South China Sea remains a geographically disputed region, China-Philippine relations face the risk of prompting deep mistrust between the two countries’ governments, as well as imminent military conflict in the region. Both sides seem unwilling to back down—as it would be an admission of the other’s superiority. 

The Filipino Coast Guard’s decision to cut the Chinese floating barrier indicates a deeper—not only physical—divide between China and Southeast Asia over territorial contentions in the South China Sea.

“China must take decisive measures to put an end to the Philippines’ provocation,” Zhongping declared bluntly. “We can’t allow the Philippines to commit endless provocations and pose a serious threat to China’s national sovereignty and security.”

Maggie Yang is a staff writer for On the Record. She is a freshman in the School of Foreign Service pursuing Regional Studies in Asia. Maggie is interested in international security and US-China relations.