Manila taking risks over fishermen, Beijing says

Manila taking risks over fishermen, Beijing says

HONG KONG, China (Reuter): China put its diplomatic ties with the Philippines on the line yesterday, calling on Manila to free 23 arrested Chinese fishermen or risk spoiling the two countries' "friendly relations".

A spokesman for China's foreign ministry office in Hong Kong said "China's embassy in the Philippines has made formal representations to the Philippines and urged the Philippines to hasten the release of the vessel and the people.

"The Chinese side hopes the Philippines will deal with the matter urgently from the point of view of preserving friendly relations," the spokesman said.

The 23 were arrested July 31 near Hasa-Hasa Shoal, about 145 kilometers west of the southwestern Philippine island of Palawan.

Three were Hong Kong residents and the rest were from Guangdong in southern China, the spokesman said.

On Wednesday, a Philippine official said the fishermen would probably be charged with illegal fishing, and alleged that their vessel was carrying dynamite.

China said it had sent officials to Palawan to advise and see to the needs of those arrested.

The Spratlys are a cluster of potentially oil-rich isles, reefs and shoals, some or all of which are claimed by China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

Beijing says all the islands and rocky outcrops in the sea have belonged to China since ancient times.

A series of recent incidents involving Chinese naval and fishing vessels in areas claimed by Manila has threatened to sour relations between China and the Philippines.

In May, the Philippines arrested 21 Chinese fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal, north of the Spratlys, for illegal entry.