SUMMARY
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Monday, May 27, that it had filed a protest over China’s “imposition of a unilateral, four-month-long fishing moratorium” that began on May 1 and is expected to stay in place until September 16, 2024.
In a statement, the DFA said it “protested the ban insofar as it includes the Philippines maritime zones over which the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction” through a diplomatic note.
“The Philippines stressed that the unilateral imposition of the fishing moratorium raises tensions in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, and directly contravenes the understanding between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping to manage differences through …