Chinese buoys found near disputed outcrop

MANILA: Filipino fishermen found several buoys with Chinese markings near the disputed Scarborough Shoal and towed the devices back to shore north-west of the capital, Manila, Philippines officials said yesterday.

China seized control of the rocky outcrop in the South China Sea in 2012 after a three-month stand-off with Philippine coastguard ships, preventing Filipino fishermen from getting near their traditional fishing grounds. The shoal is about 230km west of the Philippines.

“Yes, there are buoys there,” said Desiree Edora, mayor of Masinloc town, which has jurisdiction over Scarborough Shoal. “I already sent the chief of police to investigate the buoys.”

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to be rich in energy deposits, where about $5 trillion in ship-borne goods pass every year.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have conflicting claims in the area.

Beijing has become increasingly assertive in the South China Sea. Rapid reclamation around reefs in the Spratly archipelago in particular has sparked concern.

On Saturday, nine Filipino fishermen said they had found three long, orange containment booms, used to control oil spills, floating about 4km off Scarborough Shoal. It was the first time fishermen there had found such devices.

“The buoys have Chinese markings,” one of the fishermen told the GMA television network in the area. “The markings showed the company that manufactured it. It even has phone numbers.”

The fishermen said they towed the buoys back to Masinloc to show officials there and turned them over to a coastguard detachment. – Reuters