00:00 – Filipino fishermen share stories of intimidation and harassment as Beijing’s military-build up widens across the South China Sea
05:23 – With Washington’s focus now on the Middle East, can the Philippines still rely on the US for support?
07:44 – Diplomatic relations at stake as a war of words with Chinese Embassy in Manila escalates
China is rapidly scaling up its military presence in the South China Sea, launching incursions into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone with unprecedented frequency. Filipino fishermen are bearing the brunt of it; facing increasingly violent confrontations with the Chinese Coast Guard, and being driven away from prime fishing grounds.
Making matters worse – a war of words between the Philippine Government and the Chinese Embassy in Manila is now escalating and putting diplomatic relations between the two countries under threat, as the US’s focus shifts to the Middle East.
SBS International Correspondent Claudia Farhart travelled to Masinloc, a small community on the shores of the South China Sea, where the Filipino fishermen say Chinese vessels are closing in on their coastlines.
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