Malaysia late Monday summoned Beijings’s envoy to the Southeast Asian country in protest after Chinese vessels entered its maritime economic zone in the disputed West Philippine Sea.
Kuala Lumpur summoned Chinese ambassador Ouyang Yujing “to convey Malaysia’s position and protest against the presence and activities of Chinese vessels, including a survey vessel, in Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry accused China of going against local and international law with the presence of its ships off the coast of Sabah and Sarawak states, on the Malaysian part of Borneo island.
Monday’s move was the second time this year Malaysia has summoned Beijing’s envoy to protest Chinese activity related to the hotly contested waters.
In June, Malaysia scrambled fighter jets to intercept 16 Chinese military aircraft that appeared off Borneo over the West Philippine Sea, where it has overlapping territorial claims with Beijing.
Malaysia accused China of breaching its sovereignty, while Beijing said the flight was routine training.
Malaysia-China relations are usually warm but have been ruffled by recent tension-raising incidents over the sea, which is home to key shipping lanes and is believed to harbor rich oil and gas deposits.
“Malaysia’s consistent position and actions are based on international law, in defense of our sovereignty and sovereign rights in our waters,” the foreign ministry statement said Monday, adding the country had “also protested against the previous encroachments by other foreign vessels not our waters.”
China has laid claim to nearly all of the West Philippine Sea and has built numerous military outposts on small islands and atolls, angering others with competing claims to the waters, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.
The United States has also sent warships through the waters to assert international rights to freedom of navigation, angering China. — Agence France-Presse
BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407) safely transported over 500 locally stranded individuals (LSIs) to Surigao City as part of the Philippine Coast Guard's ferry mission to...
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has aided two fishermen who went missing off the coast of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, on December 15, 2021 while...
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station Surigao del Norte on Saturday, December 4, 2021, responded to a maritime incident involving four passengers and one boat...
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) assisted in the removal of 32 unlawfully constructed fish cages and stationary fish traps in the waters near Cavite...
Following a productive courtesy visit by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station Eastern Samar led by CG Commander Johansan Fabilane to Governor Ben Evardone...
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday (October 24, 2021) has rescued 12 passengers, including one minor, of a distressed speedboat at the vicinity...