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China on Monday said it was “necessary” to set up a floating barrier at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, where it has had frequent flare-ups with Philippine forces.
Asked about new satellite images of the barrier blocking the entrance of the shoal’s lagoon, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the shoal, called Huangyan Island in Chinese, was the country’s “inherent territory”.
“Recently, the Philippine side has taken a series of actions which violate China’s sovereignty,” Mao said in Beijing.
“China has to take the necessary measures to firmly safeguard our territorial sovereignty and…