BEIJING: China’s coast guard said it took "control measures” against several Philippine government vessels operating near a disputed shoal Tuesday (Sept 16) as tensions with Manila continue to build over its long-running disputes in the South China Sea.
The two countries are at odds over control of the Scarborough Shoal, known in China as Huangyan Island, with repeated and sometimes violent clashes between ships at sea. Diplomatic tensions over the shoal resurfaced last week after China approved a plan to build a national nature reserve there, drawing criticism from the US, a defence treaty ally of the Philippines.
