China thanks Philippines for rescuing 2 distressed Chinese fishermen off Palawan coast
MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Friday night expressed its "deep appreciation" to Filipino fishermen and authorities for the rescue of two Chinese fishermen in distress off the coast of Palawan.
The Chinese fishermen were caught in bad weather on the night of August 5, Thursday, and were rescued by Filipino fishermen who rushed them to the Bataraza District Hospital, the embassy said in a statement. It added that Philippine authorities immediately alerted them to the case.
"The Chinese Embassy expressed its deep appreciation to the Philippine fishermen and authorities concerned for proving humanitarian assistance to the Chinese fishermen in a timely manner, which fully reflects their goodwill and the valuable friendship between the Chinese and Philippine peoples."
A report from Inquirer cites officials who said four Chinese fishermen were found aboard a rubber boat after being forced to abandon their main vessel due to extreme weather conditions on Sunday.
Two of them, however, were already dead when they were found on Thursday. A fifth crew member failed to make it to the rubber boat.
The report adds that survivors told police they departed from the Chinese island province of Hainan on July 9.
This rescue comes amid continued tension between China and the Philippines over the West Philippine Sea or the portion of the South China Sea within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
Beijing refuses to recognize the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its expansive claims over most of the South China Sea and continues to deploy its ships to the Philippine exclusive economic zone, disregarding a slew of diplomatic protests from Manila.
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