China to enforce fishing ban in disputed waters

May 14, 2012

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEIJING -- Chinese state media says the government is set to enforce its annual fishing ban in the South China Sea.

The ban begins May 16 and comes amid rising tensions with the Philippines over disputed waters.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported May 13 that an official from the South China Fisheries Administration Bureau confirmed the ban includes waters around Huangyan island, known in the Philippines as Scarborough Shoal.

Manila claims the area as part of its exclusive economic zone, but Beijing insists it has been Chinese for centuries.

Tensions over the competing claims flared in the past month, with both sides lodging diplomatic protests.

Chinese enforcement of the ban has previously also sparked tensions with Vietnam.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Filipino naval personnel on board a Chinese fishing vessel at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on April 10 (Provided by the Philippine Navy)

Filipino naval personnel on board a Chinese fishing vessel at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on April 10 (Provided by the Philippine Navy)

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  • Filipino naval personnel on board a Chinese fishing vessel at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on April 10 (Provided by the Philippine Navy)