‘French Spiderman’ scales 47-storey Manila skyscraper over South China Sea dispute

Manila police arrest Alain Robert after he climbs skyscraper in Manila’s financial district

A free climber known as the “French Spiderman” scaled a skyscraper in Manila to bring attention to the South China Sea dispute amid incidents of standoffs between the Philippines and China.

Alain Robert, 61, briefly brought traffic to a standstill and drew a crowd of shocked onlookers in the Philippine capital’s financial district as he scaled a 47-storey building without a harness.

Mr Robert said he pulled the stunt to raise awareness on the maritime disputes between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.

"I know that there is tension, you know, with the Philippine Sea, and then just to remind people that the sea and the islands belongs to the Philippines and no one else, so that’s the purpose of my ascent today," Mr Robert said, without explaining why he was drawn to the cause.

Mr Robert climbed the GT Tower skyscraper which is 712ft tall and currently the 10^th tallest building in the country.

The free climbing enthusiast is known for scaling more than 150 structures worldwide, including the world’s most famous landmarks such as Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Eiffle Tower of France, and the Empire State Building in the US.

Alain Robert is known for climbing more than 150 structures around the world (AFP via Getty Images)

Onlookers gather to watch Alain Robert scaling a 47-storey building in Manila (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Robert, who was born in Digoin, France, climbs solo without a safety harness or other climbing equipment except for a small bag of chalk and a pair of climbing shoes.

He was swiftly arrested by the police as they waited for him to climb down. The Makati City police chief said they will file a case against him for causing alarm and scandal.

It was not the first time Mr Robert climbed the skyscraper in Manila. He scaled the same skyscraper in 2019 and was arrested subsequently along with a fine of 1,000 pesos (£46.5).

Andy Vergarra, an employee in the Manila financial district who witnessed Mr Robert’s ascent, said his climb was "very frightening".

Alain Robert previously climed the same building in Manila in 2019 (AFP via Getty Images)

"Just watching him up there already makes me sweat. It’s making me squeamish," Mr Vergarra said.

Mr Robert’s solidarity with Manila comes at a time when confrontations between Chinese and Filipino vessels have become frequent in the South China Sea with both sides trading blame. It has sparked fears of a larger conflict in the disputed waters that could involve the United States.

French urban climber Alain Robert, known as the 'French Spider-Man,' tapes his hands with bandages before he climbs the GT Capital building in Manil (EPA)

In the latest incident this week, vessels of the two countries collided and the Philippines’ ship suffered a “minor structural damage”, Philippine coastguard said.

Video shared by the Philippines captured the moment its crew hurried to insert a buffer between the colliding coast guard ships, while their Chinese counterparts were observed recording the incident.

China has repeatedly justified the actions of its coast guard, which it said would always resolutely defend its sovereignty in the South China Sea from illegal incursions, including by Philippine ships.