Philippine coast guard says it removed barrier placed by China’s coast guard in disputed shoal

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine coast guard says it has complied with a presidential order to remove a floating barrier placed by China’s coast guard to prevent Filipino fishing boats from entering a lagoon in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. Philippine officials on Monday condemned the installation of the 300-meter (980-foot) -long barrier at the entrance to the lagoon at Scarborough Shoal as a violation of international law and the Southeast Asian nation’s sovereignty. The Philippine coast guard’s report late Monday that it had removed the barrier underscores intensifying Philippine efforts to fight China’s increasingly aggressive actions in one of the world’s most hotly contested waters.