New Chinese law permits detainment of foreigners in South China Sea
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The Chinese coast guard will now arrest foreigners illegally present in the contested South China Sea for up to 60 days.
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China Coast Guard members approach Filipino fishermen as they confront each other off Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on September 23, 2015. (AP)
The China Coast Guard will begin to detain foreigners for trespassing in Chinese-claimed territories in the South China Sea, under a new set of laws and regulations, which took effect on Saturday.
These regulations have sparked outrage in the region, as governments closely allied with the United States, such as those in the Philippines and Taiwan, see the new regulation as threatening.
Recently, disputes over Scarborough Shoal or Huangyan Island have intensified between Beijing and Manila, as China claims the island and a number of other territories in the South China Sea as its own while the Philippines says the claims are invalid.
This has led to several direct confrontations between vessels belonging to the two countries' coast guards. The Philippines has also allowed citizens to sail to Scarborough Shoal, as the most recent event saw more than 100 small fishing boats sail to the island.
The new law will allow the Chinese coast guard to detain foreigners "suspected of violating management of border entry and exit."
Detention sentences can reach 60 days in complicated cases, agencies reported.
"Foreign ships that have illegally entered China's territorial waters and the adjacent waters may be detained," the new regulations state.
On May 17, the Philippines announced that it will purchase five coast guard patrol ships from Japan, in a multifaceted deal worth more than $400 million.
Japan will loan the Philippines 64.38 billion yen ($413 million) to buy five 97-meter multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) and the required support facilities, Manila's Foreign Ministry explained in a statement.
However, Manila's naval fleet and the vessels owned by its coast guard remain no match to that of China. Nonetheless, the announcement does indicate a miniaturized arms race in the South China Sea where tensions enduringly grow.
Read more: China Vice FM: US turning South China Sea into 'arms race'
