MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) - China's reported deployment of a high tech marine patrol ship at a disputed area in the South China Sea may hamper ongoing talks for a diplomatic settlement, a Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson said on Friday.
The most recent dispute is well into its second week, with a Philippine coast guard ship and two Chinese maritime surveillance vessels faced off near the Scarborough Shoal in waters believed to be rich in oil and gas.
Chinese state media reported on Thursday that Beijing had sent its most advanced fishery patrol ship to the South China Sea to safeguard Chinese fishing boats in the area as the standoff showed no sign of ending.
Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez said the government received information of a white Chinese civilian fishing vessel entering the shoal earlier on Friday, but did not confirm if it was the reported advanced marine vessel that sailed off from China.
Hernandez said China's reported deployment of its most advanced fishing vessel may be interpreted as a sign of aggression that could destabilize ongoing negotiations.
"The agreement was to defuse the tension. The agreement was not to escalate the situation in this Scarborough Shoal. But with the arrival of this new ship we see this action as an aggravation to the situation in the Scarborough Shoal," he said.
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