Philippines accuses China of using cyanide to poison South China Sea atoll

Officials pass cyanide could harm marine beingness and weaken the reef supporting a grounded warship.

The Philippines says it has discovered cyanide connected Chinese boats adjacent a disputed South China Sea atoll, informing the substance could beryllium utilized for “sabotage” against section food populations.

Security officials from the Philippines said connected Monday that laboratory tests confirmed the beingness of the toxic substance successful bottles seized by the Philippine navy past twelvemonth astatine Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef successful the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.

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The officials warned that the cyanide could person had superior consequences for marine beingness and weakened the reef supporting a warship that Manila grounded connected the atoll to reenforce its maritime claim.

“We privation to underscore that the usage of cyanide successful Ayungin ‌Shoal is simply a signifier of sabotage that seeks to termination section food populations, depriving navy unit of a captious nutrient source,” Cornelio Valencia, National Security Council spokesperson, told a quality conference, utilizing the Philippines’ sanction for the atoll.

Valencia added that cyanide could harm the reef and “ultimately compromise” the warship’s stability.

The Foreign Ministry of China rejected the Philippines’ assertions, calling them a “stunt”.

“The Philippine broadside illegally harassed the Chinese sportfishing boats conducting mean fishing, grabbed the fishermen’s surviving supplies, and staged this alleged cyanide stunt. There is nary credibility whatsoever to their story,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

The Philippines has accused China of disrupting resupply missions to ⁠troops connected the vessel, including a June 17, 2024, incidental that ⁠turned convulsive and resulted successful a Filipino sailor losing a finger.

In December 2025, the Philippines accused Chinese coastguard ships of firing h2o cannon astatine Filipino fishermen adjacent the disputed Sabina Shoal, injuring 3 radical and causing “significant damage” to 2 sportfishing vessels.

China has denied allegations of assertive behaviour during specified encounters and accused the Philippines of trespassing successful its waters.

China and the Philippines held high-level talks past period implicit the South China Sea, exploring ⁠preliminary steps towards lipid and state cooperation, and confidence-building ⁠measures astatine sea, including connection betwixt their coastguards.

The Philippine Foreign Ministry said successful a connection connected Monday that the scope of the coastguard practice would beryllium limited, and “does not contemplate practice successful delicate operational areas”, adding that determination ‌had been nary discussions connected associated patrols.

China claims astir each the South China Sea, including areas claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

A 2016 ruling by an planetary ‌arbitral ‌tribunal recovered Beijing’s sweeping claims had nary ground nether planetary law, a determination China rejects.

More than $3 trillion successful yearly ship-borne commerce travels done the cardinal waterway.