China has ‘decided’ to let Filipinos Fish on the West Philippine Sea following the visit of President Duterte to Beijing.
BEIJING, China – None other than the Foreign Ministry of China made the confirmation that they had decided to allow the fishermen from the Philippines to gain access to a disputed shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that the decision was made following the state visit of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to Beijing last week.
Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry of China, said that Beijing made the “proper arrangements” regarding the access of Filipino fishermen to the Scarborough Shoal, which is locally known as the Panatag Shoal, after Duterte expressed concern on the matter during his four-day state visit.
In 2012, China seized the shoal which is located at 228 kilometers or 123 miles from the Northern part of the Philippines after the standoff between both sides.
From then on, Filipino fishermen were prevented from working in the area, affecting largely their livelihood.
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