Philippines summons Chinese envoy to protest naval intrusion

The Philippine government on Monday summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest what it said was the “illegal incursion” of a Chinese navy ship into the country’s waters and to demand that Beijing order its ships to respect the country’s territory and follow international law, officials said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said a reconnaissance ship of China’s People’s Liberation Army crossed into the Sulu Sea and cruised off the western Palawan and nearby Mindoro provinces from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 without permission and in violation of Philippine sovereignty. Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro summoned Beijing’s envoy Huang Xilian and “demanded that China respect Philippine territory and maritime jurisdiction and to comply with its obligations under international law,” the department said in a statement.

It added that Lazaro asked China to “direct its vessels to desist from entering Philippine waters uninvited and without permission.”

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