South China Sea Tensions Rise Over Flotaing Barrier Installation

China’s placement of floating barriers around the Scarborough Reef in the South China Sea has sparked a dispute with the Philippines. The Philippines claims the reef is within its exclusive economic zone, while China asserts sovereignty over the area. The barriers have blocked Filipino fishing boats, leading Philippine officials to condemn China’s actions as illegal and vow to remove the barriers to protect local fishermen’s rights. China maintains that the reef and its surrounding waters are under its undisputed sovereignty and cites a recent incident involving a Filipino fishing vessel entering Chinese waters as the reason for deploying the barriers.