China Confronts US Ally’s Fishermen in Disputed Waters

Videos have surfaced allegedly showing the Chinese coast guard chasing Philippine fishermen from traditional fishing grounds within Manila’s own exclusive economic zone (EEZ) grounds earlier this month. A Chinese coast guard patrol is said to have forced the fishermen to return their catch to the sea before shooing them away from resource-rich Scarborough Shoal, a feature of the Spratly Islands, that the Philippines calls Bajo de Masinloc and China Huangyan Island. Scarborough Shoal is one of the most bitterly contested features in the South China Sea, where China’s expansive claims overlap with those of the Philippines and five other countries….