China vows to 'safeguard' Scarborough after PH removal of barrier

China said it will safeguard territorial sovereignty over an area in the South China Sea where Philippines cut a floating barrier installed by Beijing, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday (September 27).

On Monday (September 25), the coastguard cut a 300-m (980-ft) floating barrier installed by China that blocked access to the Scarborough Shoal, a bold response in an area Beijing has controlled for more than a decade with coastguard ships and a fleet of large fishing vessels.

The coastguard of the Philippines urged the country's fishermen on Wednesday to keep operating at the disputed Scarborough Shoal and other sites in the South China Sea, pledging to step up patrols there despite an imposing Chinese presence.

(Report from Reuters; Production: Wang Shubing, Adrian Portugal, Xiaoyu Yin)