Filipino Fisherman’s Dangerous Encounter with Chinese Coast Guard

The Filipino fisherfolk, with lives and livelihoods at stakes, are caught in the crossfire of the new China Coast Guard law. By Stanley Buenafe Gajete, Philippine correspondent, Maritime Fairtrade

While the Philippines is occupied with receiving COVID-19 vaccines donated by different countries and manufacturers, and addressing the effects of the pandemic to revive the economy, tensions in the West Philippine Sea are rising, brought about by the controversial new China Coast Guard Law.

China’s new law may be a domestic legislation, which allows its own coast guard to fire at any foreign vessel and ship, however this rule presents a threat not only on livelihood and food security, but also to the lives of Filipino fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea.

China claims almost the whole resource-rich South China Sea, ignoring all arbitration awards that invalidated it. China cited historical records, not recognized by the arbitral tribunal, to back its claim to about 90 percent of the sea area.