The Philippine government accused Chinese ships of ramming and damaging their boats in the South China Sea during a confrontation in the waters off the Second Thomas Shoal, home to a garrison of Philippine troops. | Photo credit: AFP
A Chinese ship and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on June 17, the Chinese coast guard said, in the latest flare-up of escalating territorial disputes that have sparked alarm.
The Coast Guard said a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, part of an area claimed by several countries.
The Philippines says the shoal falls within its internationally recognized exclusive economic zone and often cites a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s extensive claims to the South China Sea on historical grounds.
China’s coast guard said the Philippine vessel “ignored China’s repeated solemn warnings… and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision.”
“The Philippines is fully responsible for this,” the coast guard said in a statement on the social media platform WeChat.
Meanwhile, the Philippine military called the Chinese Coast Guard’s report “deceptive and misleading” and said it “would not discuss operational details on the lawful humanitarian rotation and supply mission in Ayungin Shoal, which is well within our exclusive economic zone.” It used the Philippine name for the shoal, where Philippine Navy personnel have transported food, medicine and other supplies to a long-grounded warship that has served as Manila’s territorial outpost.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said his country’s armed forces would oppose “China’s dangerous and reckless behavior,” which is “contrary to their declarations of good faith and decency.”
“We will do our utmost to fulfill our sworn mandate to protect our territorial integrity, sovereignty and sovereign rights,” Mr Teodoro said. “It must now be clear to the international community that China’s actions are the real obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
The United States condemned China’s “aggressive, dangerous maneuvers” near the shoal, which “caused bodily harm, damaged Philippine vessels and obstructed lawful maritime operations to deliver food, water and essential supplies to Philippine personnel within the Philippine exclusive economic zone,” the US ambassador said. to Manila MaryKay Carlson said in a statement about X.
Two speedboats – attempting to deliver construction materials and other supplies to a military ship stationed on the shoal – accompanied the supply ship, according to China’s Foreign Ministry, which described the coast guard maneuver as “professional, restrained, reasonable and lawful ‘.
The State Department did not elaborate on the extent of damage to the Chinese or Philippine ships.
Several incidents have occurred in recent months near the shoal which is less than 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the coast of the Philippines and where it has an outpost aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, which has been covered in rust since it was deliberately grounded in 1999. but remains an actively deployed military ship, meaning an attack on it by the Philippines could be considered an act of war.
China has become increasingly assertive in asserting its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, leading to an increasing number of direct conflicts with other countries in the region, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam.
A new Chinese law that came into effect on Saturday authorizes the coast guard to seize foreign ships “illegally entering China’s territorial waters” and detain foreign crews for up to 60 days. The law renewed a reference to 2021 legislation that says China’s coast guard can fire on foreign ships if necessary.
At least three coastal governments with claims to the waters – the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan – have said they would not recognize the law.
The territorial disputes have strained relations and fueled fears that the conflict could draw China and the United States, the Philippines’ longtime ally, into a military confrontation. Washington makes no territorial claims over the busy sea lane, a key global trade route, but has warned it is obliged to defend the Philippines if Philippine troops, ships and aircraft come under armed attack in the South China Sea.
In addition to China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are also involved in the long-simmering territorial disputes, which are considered a flashpoint in Asia and a delicate fault line in the long-standing US-China rivalry in the region.
Indonesia has also had to deal with Chinese coast guard and fishing fleets in the past in the gas-rich waters off the Natuna Islands on the edge of the South China Sea, where it blew up Chinese fishing boats it had taken into custody. The navy also fired warning shots at Chinese ships that strayed into what Jakarta considers its exclusive economic zone.
