In a reckless move that further undermined the peace in the region, the Philippines detained 11 Chinese fishermen and their boat near China's Half Moon Shoal in the South China Sea on the grounds that they had poached sea turtles.

No matter whether the allegation is true or not, Manila is in the wrong because China has indisputable sovereign rights over the Nansha Islands and the adjacent waters, including the Half Moon Shoal, where the incident occurred, says a Xinhua News Agency commentary.

Thus any actions taken by the Philippines against the Chinese fishermen are illegal and invalid and can be regarded as direct infringements on China's sovereignty.