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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 28 sepTember 2023
Philippines says it will remove any barrier China installs in the

disputed South China Sea

By JIM GOMEZ name for Second Thomas
Associated Press Shoal. “Whatever they in-
MANILA, Philippines (AP) stall, we will remove.”
— Filipino forces would dis- Under Marcos, who took
mantle any floating barrier office last year, the Philip-
that China’s coast guard pines has intensified efforts
may install in the disputed to fight China’s increasingly
South China Sea, a Philip- aggressive actions in one
pine admiral said Wednes- of the world’s most hotly
day after Manila infuriated contested waters. The Phil-
China by removing one ippine coast guard now
such obstruction in a con- often invites journalists to
tested shoal. join its territorial patrols in
Philippine officials strongly an effort, it says, to expose
condemned the installa- China’s bullying in the busy
tion last week of a 300-me- waterway.
ter (980-foot) -long barrier Aside from China and the
by Chinese coast guard Philippines, Vietnam, Ma-
vessels at the entrance to laysia, Brunei and Taiwan
the lagoon of Scarborough are also involved in the
Shoal as a violation of inter- long-simmering territorial
national law and the coun- conflicts in the South Chi-
try’s sovereignty.The barrier na Sea. They which have
has prevented a swarm of A Chinese coast guard ship tries to block the way of a Philippine supply boat, left, as it heads long been regarded as a
Filipino boats from entering towards Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, at the disputed South China Sea potential Asian flashpoint
the rich fishing area, they on Aug. 22, 2023. Associated Press and a delicate fault line in

said. The shoal lies within the U.S.-China rivalry in the
the Philippines’ exclusive rope and net barrier held “What the Philippines (has) nese coast guard may also region.
economic zone just west of up by small buoys in the done is nothing but a farce install a similar floating bar- Washington lays no claim
the main Luzon Island, but mouth of the shoal. China that entertains itself. China rier at the entrance to Sec- to the sea passageway, a
has been occupied by Chi- reacted on Tuesday by ask- will continue to safeguard ond Thomas Shoal, which is major global trade route,
na since 2012 as part of a ing the Philippines “not to territorial sovereignty and occupied by a small Philip- but U.S. Navy ships and
push by Beijing to lay claim make provocations or seek maritime rights and inter- pine navy contingent on a fighter jets have carried
to virtually the entire South trouble.” “Huayang Island is ests of Huangyan Island.” long-grounded warship but out patrols for decades to
China Sea. China’s inherent territory,” Philippine Vice Adm. Al- has been surrounded by challenge China’s expan-
On Monday, the Philippine Chinese Foreign Ministry berto Carlos, who heads Chinese coast guard ships. sive claims and promote
coast guard said it has spokesperson Wang Wen- the military’s Western Com- “My concern is, if they also freedom of navigation and
complied with an order by bin said in a news briefing mand in charge of over- put a barrier in Ayungin … overflight. China has told
President Ferdinand Mar- in Beijing on Wednesday, seeing the South China we also have to remove the the U.S. to stop meddling in
cos Jr. to launch a covert referring to the Chinese Sea, told journalists he was barrier,” Carlos told jour- what it says is a purely Asian
operation to remove the name for Scarborough. concerned that the Chi- nalists, using the Philippine dispute. q

Scottish officials approve U.K.’s first drug consumption room

intended for safer use of illegal drugs

By SYLVIA HUI which has the highest drug from more than 100 similar harm reduction and reduc- es overdoses.q
Associated Press death figures in Western Eu- facilities worldwide, includ-
LONDON (AP) — Scottish rope and saw almost three ing in Germany and the
authorities on Wednes- times the rate of drug poi- Netherlands, show they
day approved a 2.3 mil- soning deaths compared work to save lives and re-
lion-pound ($2.8 million) to the U.K. average in 2021. duce overall costs to health
pound drug consumption The facility, which will start services.
room, the first government- recruiting staff next year, The center will be staffed by
backed place in the U.K. was first proposed in 2016 trained health care profes-
where users can take illegal following an HIV outbreak sionals and offer a hygienic
drugs such as cocaine and in Glasgow among people environment where people
heroin under the supervi- who injected drugs in pub- can consume drugs they
sion of medical staff. lic places. It’s backed by obtained elsewhere.
Local officials in the Scot- the Scottish government, Officials say people can’t
tish city of Glasgow on although some lawmak- share drugs with others in
Wednesday approved the ers have raised concerns the facility, and that health
facility, which had long about the impact on local and social workers at the
been delayed by political residents and businesses. center will offer advice and
disagreements. Authori- Proponents, including support on recovery and A view of a mock drugs consumption room - where users take
ties hope the pilot project Scotland’s drug and alco- welfare. They added that heroin under medical supervision - staged at Colston Hall in
will help tackle drug mis- hol policy minister Elena the center doesn’t encour- Bristol, Jan. 24, 2020.
use problems in Scotland, Whitham, say evidence age drug use but promotes Associated Press