FILE PHOTO: A Philippine flag flies from the BRP Sierra Madre, a derelict Philippine Navy ship that has been aground since 1999 and has become a Philippine military commando on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea. 2014. Portal/Erik De Castro/File Photo/File Photo Acquire License Rights
- China and the Philippines collide in the latest confrontation at sea
- China’s coast guard says Philippine ships were “lawfully” blocked
- According to the task force in Manila, there is a risk of collision for the Filipino crew
- US envoy condemns China’s actions and expresses support for Manila
BEIJING/MANILA, Oct 22 (Portal) – China and the Philippines exchanged allegations of a collision in disputed waters of the South China Sea as Chinese ships blocked Philippine boats resupplying forces there on Sunday, the latest in a series of maritime confrontations .
The two countries have had numerous clashes in the South China Sea in recent months, particularly near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands.
The Philippines has sent supplies to troops stationed on a rusted World War II-era transport ship that served as an outpost on the shoal, prompting the Chinese coast guard to repeatedly deploy ships to block the resupply missions.
In the incident early Sunday, China’s coast guard said there was a “minor collision” between one of its vessels and the Philippine boat, while the coast guard “lawfully” stopped the boat from transporting “illegal construction materials” to the warship.
Manila responded by condemning “in the strongest possible terms” the Chinese ship’s “dangerous blocking maneuvers.”
China’s “dangerous, irresponsible and illegal actions” are “a violation of the sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines,” Manila’s West Philippine Sea Task Force said in a statement.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The Permanent Court of Arbitration said in 2016 that China’s claims had no legal basis.
“China has maintained great restraint and patience on this matter,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
China has long had intensive communication with Manila, but this has disregarded China’s goodwill, the ministry said in a statement.
China will continue to take necessary measures in accordance with domestic and international laws to protect its territorial sovereignty, it said.
DANGEROUS PROVOCATIONS
The US sided with the Philippines and offered support to its ally. In a statement on Sunday, the US State Department said China’s actions amounted to repeated “harassment” in the South China Sea and were “dangerous and unlawful.”
The Canadian and Japanese embassies in Manila also expressed support for the Philippines and expressed concern over the collision. European Union Ambassador Luc Veron said: “These incidents, their repetition and intensification, are dangerous and very worrying.”
Manila’s relations with Beijing have deteriorated under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has increased military engagement with Washington since taking office last year. The Pentagon said in May it would protect the Philippines if its coast guard was attacked “anywhere in the South China Sea.”
Last week, the Philippine military called on China to stop its “dangerous and offensive” actions after a Chinese naval vessel tailed and attempted to cut off a Philippine naval ship carrying out a resupply mission.
Sunday’s collision occurred during a routine resupply mission by a boat on behalf of the Philippine Armed Forces, Manila said.
In another incident during the same resupply mission, the port side of a Philippine coast guard ship was said to have been struck by a Chinese maritime militia vessel.
The Chinese coast guard ship’s actions “endangered the safety of the crew” of the Philippine boat, the task force said.
The Chinese Coast Guard said in a statement that the Philippine ship ignored repeated warnings, crossed the Chinese ship’s bow and “deliberately provoked trouble,” leading to the collision.
“The Philippines’ behavior seriously violates international rules on avoiding collisions at sea and endangers the navigational safety of our vessels,” the coast guard said.
Manila grounded the BRP warship Sierra Madre in 1999 as part of its sovereignty claim over the Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
Reporting by Ethan Wang, Bernard Orr and Ryan Woo in Beijing and Enrico Dela Cruz in Manila; Additional reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Edited by Lincoln Feast, Barbara Lewis and Jason Neely
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