The controversial sightings of Chinese ships at the disputed Quirino atoll or the Jackson atoll was confirmed by a top Chinese officials who admitted that they sent ships to the disputed atoll in the South China Sea also known as the West Philippine Sea.
According to the Chinese official, they sent ships to the disputed waters and “persuaded fishing boats to leave the waters,” adding that its vessels already left the area.
The Chinese official was no other than Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei also stated that the Ministry of Transportation dispatched ships to salvage a fishing vessel that had run aground near Jackson Atoll in late 2015 and which posed a risk to navigation.
The Chinese also clarified that they persuaded the ships from the Philippines during the operations in an “effort to ensure safety conditions for normal navigation,” the officials told reporters.
The sightings of Chinese coast guard ships two weeks ago at the disputed atoll sparked fears that Beijing may take control of it when the Philippine government checked on Wednesday.
