Philippines backs Vietnam after China sinks fishing boat
Associated PressMANILA, Philippines — The Philippines on Wednesday expressed solidarity with Vietnam after Hanoi protested what it said was the ramming and sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat by a Chinese coast guard ship in the disputed South China Sea. “In the face of it, neither fish nor fictional historical claims are worth the fuse that’s lit by such incidents.” China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and has built several islands equipped with military installations in the area, one of world’s busiest shipping lanes. The United States has also expressed serious concern over the reported sinking of the Vietnamese vessel and called on China to remain focused on supporting efforts to combat the pandemic and “stop exploiting the distraction or vulnerability of other states to expand its unlawful claims in the South China Sea.” Amid the pandemic, China “has announced new `research stations’ on military bases it built on Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef and landed special military aircraft on Fiery Cross Reef,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement, referring to two of seven islands China built on disputed shoals in the South China Sea. China has also “continued to deploy maritime militia around the Spratly Islands,” she said, referring to a hotly contested group of islands and citing a 2016 decision by an international tribunal that invalidated China’s sprawling claims in the South China Sea.