On Tuesday, the Philippines announced that it filed a diplomatic protest with China for instituting a South China Sea fishing ban. The country also filed a complaint against a Beijing coast guard’s harassment and jurisdiction violations.
In a statement by the Department of Foreign Affairs, they accused Chinese vessels of interfering with joint marine research, as well as energy exploration activities at the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
They also criticized China’s annual fishing moratorium within the Philippines and Vietnam EEZ. China’s embassy did not respond promptly to the Philippines’ request for comment.
The foreign ministry answered the request by stating that the coast guard’s actions were “not consistent with innocent passage and are clear violations of the Philippine maritime jurisdiction.” They did not provide an explanation as to why it took them over a month to reply.