MANILA, April 11 (Reuters) – The Philippines summoned
China’s ambassador in Manila on Wednesday for talks over a
disputed area in the South China Sea after two large Chinese
surveillance ships blocked a Philippine Navy vessel from
arresting Chinese fishermen in the area.
Raul Hernandez, a foreign ministry spokesman, said Manila is
seeking a diplomatic solution to end the stand-off after Foreign
Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario called in China’s
ambassador Ma Keqing.
The Philippines and China are contesting sovereignty over a
small group of rock formations known as Scarborough shoal in the
South China Sea, about 124 nautical miles off the main island of
Luzon, near a former U.S. navy base in Subic Bay.
(Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Paul Tait and Michael
Perry)
