Philippine warship in standoff with Chinese ships

The Philippines' biggest warship was locked in a tense standoff on Wednesday with two Chinese ships that were blocking the arrest of Chinese fishermen in a disputed area of the South China Sea. The incident is one of the most high-profile flare-ups in recent years between the two countries over their competing territorial claims to parts of the South China Sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits. The Philippine government released a statement saying eight Chinese boats had been caught on Sunday illegally fishing at Scarborough Shoal just 124 nautical miles from the country's main island of Luzon. The foreign affairs department statement said two "Chinese maritime surveillance ships" sailed to the disputed area on Tuesday and were blocking efforts by the Philippine Navy's flagship vessel to arrest the fishermen. "What is happening now is that there is... a standoff," foreign affairs department spokesman Raul Hernandez said on DZBB radio in Manila. He said it was not clear whether the Chinese surveillance ships were armed, and that efforts were being made to settle the issue peacefully. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario contacted China's ambassador to the Philippines, Ma Keqing, on Tuesday night to emphasise that the area was "an integral part of Philippine territory", according to the government statement. Ma had been called in for discussions with del Rosario on Wednesday morning, it said. But the Chinese embassy in Manila released a statement on Wednesday afternoon insisting the area belonged to China, and ordering the Philippine warship to immediately leave. "The Chinese embassy hereby reiterates that Huangyan Island is an integral part of the Chinese territory and the waters around it is the traditional fishing area for the Chinese fishermen," the statement said. The statement "urged the Philippine side to stop immediately their illegal activities and leave this area". China refers to Scarborough Shoal as Huangyan Island. China insists it has sovereign rights to all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the coast of other countries and hundreds of kilometres (miles) from its own landmass. The Philippines says it has sovereign rights over areas of the sea within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, and that its position is supported by international law. Apart from China and the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam also have overlapping claims to parts of the South China Sea, making the waters one of Asia's potential flashpoints for armed conflict. Aside from being coveted for its fossil fuels, the South China Sea is home to vast fishing grounds as well as hosting shipping lanes that are vital for global trade. The Philippines and Vietnam complained last year of increasingly aggressive acts by China in staking its claim to the South China Sea. The Philippines accused Chinese vessels of firing warning shots at Filipino fishermen, as well as harassing an oil exploration vessel and placing markers on islets within Philippine territory. Philippine concerns about China's perceived aggressiveness prompted it to seek help from the United States in building up its poorly equipped military and weak maritime defence capabilities. The United States responded favourably, delivering the Gregorio del Pilar, a a 115-metre (378-foot) decommissioned US coast guard cutter, to replace a World War II-era vessel as the Philippine Navy's biggest and newest ship. The Gregorio del Pilar was the vessel involved in Wednesday's stand-off. The United States has promised the Philippines more military aid, and a second patrol vessel is due to arrive this year. The Philippines is also hoping to acquire American F-16 fighter jets, President Benigno Aquino told AFP last month.