Philippines Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has accused Chinese vessels of preventing Filipino fishing boats from seeking shelter at a disputed South China Sea shoal in new incidents that he said prompted his government to elevate the case to internationasl arbitration.
Aquino told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davo that the incidents took place recently at the Scarborough Shoal near the western coast of the northern Philippines. He said in one incident Chinese vessels got within 10 metres of two fishing boats and sounded their horns at full blast, and on another occasion two other Philippine boats were ordered out of the shoal despite bad weather.
Aquino quoted the fishermen’s account given to Philippine authorities.
The Chinese government did not immediately comment late on Saturday.
