Fishing in troubled waters

The Point with Liu Xin

A Filipino civilian convoy that calls itself Atin Ito, meaning "This is ours" in Tagalog, claims to have breached China's so-called “blockade” around the Huangyan Island in the South China Sea. The flotilla is said to have reached the shoal and resupplied Filipino fishermen operating there. But media reports suggest they stopped 50 nautical miles from Huangyan before returning. The Philippine Coast Guard and Navy watched the mission. What is it that the mission aimed to accomplish? Are the fishermen being exploited? Are there other forces behind this sudden assertiveness?