BEIJING - A Chinese naval frigate has run aground while patrolling disputed
waters in the South China Sea, the defence ministry said Friday, amid tensions
with the Philippines over territorial claims.
The ship was on "routine
patrol" when it became stranded near Half Moon Shoal in the Spratly
Islands on Wednesday evening, the ministry said in a statement posted on its
website.
The shoal is off the Philippine
island of Palawan.
No one was injured or killed in
the accident and the navy was now organising a rescue, the statement said, but
gave no further details.
The Philippines said it was
trying to confirm the reports and would offer assistance to any vessel in
distress.
"We have to find out why
that ship was there, why it ran aground, whether it was an accident or
whatever," Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told reporters.
"If we have to offer
assistance to help them get out of that place, we will assist them," he
added.
The Sydney Morning Herald on
Friday quoted Western diplomatic sources as saying the frigate, which has been
discouraging fishing boats from the Philippines from entering the area, was
"thoroughly stuck".
China says it has sovereign
rights to all the South China Sea, believed to sit atop vast oil and gas
deposits, including areas close to the coastlines of other countries and
hundreds of kilometres (miles) from its own landmass.
But Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei,
Malaysia, and the Philippines also claim parts of the South China Sea.
The Spratlys are one of the
biggest island chains in the area.
The rival claims have long made
the South China Sea one of Asia's potential military flashpoints, and tensions
have escalated over the past year.
The Philippines and Vietnam have
complained China is becoming increasingly aggressive in its actions in the
area, such as harassing fishermen, and also through bullying diplomatic
tactics.
AFP
Friday, Jul 13, 2012
Friday, Jul 13, 2012
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Strategy, Investment and Management, focusing Healthcare and Life Science with expertise in ASEAN. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programmes. Many thanks for visiting www.yourvietnamexpert.com and/or contacting us at contact@yourvietnamexpert.com
No comments:
Post a Comment