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WORLD NEWS Thursday 3 OcTOber 2019

In this image made from video, British High Commissioner Laura
Clarke receives a hongi from a local when she visited the town
of Gisborne, New Zealand, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019.
Associated Press
Britain expresses

'regret' for killing In this Nov. 20, 2019, file photo, students burn a Chinese flag as they protest against the visit of

Maori 250 years ago Chinese President Xi Jinping outside the Presidential palace in Manila, Philippines.
Associated Press

By NICK PERRY an important leader, Te Philippine official tweets
Associated Press Maro, and over the follow-
WELLINGTON, New Zealand ing days killed eight more order for new protest vs China
(AP) — The British govern- Maori before a Tahitian
ment on Wednesday ex- priest managed to medi-
pressed "regret" that British ate between the sides. MANILA, Philippines (AP) — China claims almost the ence in key areas which
explorers killed some of the The British High Commission The Philippine foreign sec- entire South China Sea, a Beijing claims but where it
first indigenous Maori they said the exact wording of retary used Twitter to order strategic waterway where does not have any perma-
met 250 years ago, but Clarke's speech to Maori the immediate filing of a U.S. Navy ships and air- nent facilities.
stopped short of issuing a leaders would remain pri- diplomatic protest against craft have patrolled for de- Chinese coast guard ships
full apology. vate, but that she would China on Wednesday after cades. have guarded Second
British High Commission- acknowledge the pain of Chinese coast guard ships Locsin tweeted: "Do I have Thomas from a close dis-
er Laura Clarke met with those first encounters and reportedly neared a Philip- to fly home to file the god- tance since 2013 in a quiet
Maori tribal leaders in the extend her sympathy to pine-occupied shoal in the damned diplomatic pro- standoff with a small con-
town of Gisborne as New the descendants of those disputed South China Sea. test myself? That's the mili- tingent of Filipino marines
Zealand marked the anni- killed. Foreign Secretary Teodoro tary speaking. Not some manning a rusty but still ac-
versary of Captain James Britain has also been return- Locsin Jr., who is accompa- friggin' civilian media out- tively commissioned navy
Cook and the crew of his ing some historic artifacts nying Philippine President let. File now!!!" ship that Manila deliberate-
ship Endeavour arriving in taken by Cook's crew, in- Rodrigo Duterte on a visit There was no immediate ly grounded in 1999 after
1769. cluding canoe paddles. to Russia, issued the nor- comment from Chinese China seized nearby Mis-
Clarke's words held historic In a Facebook video, the mally confidential order to Embassy officials in Ma- chief Reef five years earlier.
significance but fell short of Maori "iwi" or tribe Rongow- officials at the Department nila. In the past they have China has demanded
the full apology that some hakaata described that first of Foreign Affairs. Relations claimed Chinese sover- the Philippines pull out the
had sought from the British encounter in blunt terms: between the Philippines eignty over the shoal. World War II-era tank land-
royal family. "After only being here for and China have vastly The Asia Maritime Transpar- ing ship, the BRP Sierra
Soon after Cook and his two hours, Cook and his improved under Duterte, ency Initiative, a Washing- Madre, and also warned
crew arrived, the sailors crew had trespassed, ter- but territorial rifts have re- ton-based think tank which Manila from undertaking
feared they were under rorized, killed and stolen mained a thorny issue. monitors movements in construction in the area, a
attack after encountering from us," a narrator says. The Philippine military chief the disputed waters, says rich fishing ground. Manila
Maori armed with weap- The high commission was and other officials have Chinese coast guard ships has refused to withdraw
ons. careful to point out that reported new activities by routinely patrol Second its navy ship and has pro-
But many scholars now be- Wednesday's expression of Chinese coast guard ves- Thomas Shoal, the Luconia tested past Chinese block-
lieve Maori were likely only regret came from the British sels at Second Thomas Shoals off Malaysia and ades of Philippine vessels
issuing a ceremonial chal- government and not from Shoal, where Filipino ma- Scarborough Shoal off the transporting supplies to the
lenge. the British monarch, Queen rines keep watch aboard a northwestern Philippines marines stationed at the
The sailors shot and killed Elizabeth II.q long-grounded navy ship. to project a Chinese pres- shoal.q