Clash between China and the Philippines over a "floating barrier" that Beijing had placed in disputed waters

In the disputed South China Sea, 220 kilometers from the Philippines, there is a gigantic 150 square kilometer atoll filled with sandbanks, a chain of reefs and triangular-shaped rocks.. It is called Scarborough Shoal and it is a privileged fishing area where desired marine resources abound..

From Manila they claim it as part of their exclusive economic zone (EEZ). But in China they say it is theirs because they have writings from the 13th century that indicate that that place was part of their domains.. What Beijing does not explain when they express their claim is that the atoll is very close to the considered gateway to the Pacific, the Bashi Channel, which is why we are talking about an important geopolitical enclave.

Last weekend, people in the Philippines protested because the Chinese coast guard had installed a floating barrier at Scarborough Shoal to block the entry of Filipino fishing boats.. Just two days later, the Philippine coast guard has removed the barrier, which has further strained the old dispute with Beijing over the disputed waters.

“The barrier represented a danger to navigation and a clear violation of international law. It also hampers fishing and the livelihood activities of Filipino fishermen,” Philippine authorities said in a statement.. It was President Ferdinand Marcos Jr himself, increasingly closer to Washington, who gave the order to remove a barrier formed with buoys and measuring more than 300 meters.

In Beijing they defended the placement of the barrier, accusing Manila of worsening tensions by trying to deploy one of its ships a few days ago into the lagoon in the atoll.. Chinese military militias had already prevented Filipino fishermen from entering the site after they took control of the bank in a maritime confrontation in 2012.. That prompted Manila to sue Chinese authorities before an international tribunal over their territorial claims in the South China Sea, a rich fishing ground believed to contain vast reserves of oil and gas.

In addition to its interest in its natural resources, Beijing considers these waters the gateway for its ambitious initiative of the new Maritime Silk Road, which is why it has been advancing positions for years, building artificial islands with landing strips and military infrastructure, in addition to removing to take the maritime militia, made up of nearly 3,000 vessels, some of which, as a measure of pressure usually launched by Beijing, are mobilizing this Tuesday near the area of dispute with the Philippines.

The court ruled in 2016 that China's claims to most of the waterway were invalid, but Xi Jinping's government rejected the ruling.. Even so, when bilateral relations were restored with the government of then-President Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine fishing boats returned to fishing in waters near the sandbar, but never in its interior lagoon.

With Marcos Jr serving a year as head of the Philippines, relations have deteriorated greatly with China, especially due to the military agreements that the Southeast Asian country has signed this year with the United States.

Manila and Washington are signatories to the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which allows for joint training, prepositioning of equipment, and the construction of facilities such as airstrips, fuel storage, and military housing, but not a presence permanent.

A few months ago, the Philippines announced that it would give US troops access to four more military bases, allowing Washington to establish itself in a key strategic position to defend Taiwan in case the Chinese army launches an attack.