HONG KONG — China’s Coast Guard Clashes with Philippine Boats in the South China Sea
In a dramatic showdown, China’s coast guard deployed water cannons against Philippine boats in a disputed area of the South China Sea on Saturday, marking the latest episode in a series of maritime confrontations between the two nations.
The incident occurred shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to safeguarding Philippine access to the expansive waterway, which China claims sovereignty over. This has led to escalating tensions with neighboring countries in recent years.
Video footage of the clash depicted a Philippine civilian vessel sustaining “heavy damage” from the water cannon, as reported by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The AFP condemned the Chinese coast guard for executing a “dangerous maneuver” by crossing in front of a resupply vessel before unleashing the water cannon. Subsequently, China installed floating barriers to block any further entry of vessels into the area.
A Philippine Coast Guard vessel found itself “impeded and encircled” by a Chinese coast guard ship and two Chinese “maritime militia” vessels, effectively cutting off access to the resupply boat.
According to Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela, the ship was “isolated from the resupply boat due to the irresponsible and provocative behavior of the Chinese maritime forces, who have shown a disregard for the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.”
The ongoing dispute centers around the Second Thomas Shoal, situated approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) off the coast of the Philippine island of Palawan. This area has been a point of contention between Beijing and Manila for years.
Recent clashes typically occur when the Philippines attempts to deliver supplies to the forces stationed on the Sierra Madre, an aging navy transport ship grounded by the Philippines on the shoal to reinforce its territorial claim.
Despite the confrontation, the AFP successfully managed to resupply the Sierra Madre, although one of the vessels involved had to alter its course.
In a statement on Chinese social media platform Weibo, China’s coast guard justified its actions as “control measures in accordance with the law” against what it deemed as Philippine ships “illegally entering the waters adjacent to Ren’ai Reef,” known to the Philippines as Ayungin Shoal.
This latest clash unfolded just days after Secretary of State Blinken reiterated the US’s firm commitment to defending the Philippines in the South China Sea, emphasizing the mutual defense treaty signed in 1951.
Notably, a similar incident occurred two weeks prior, where a Chinese coast guard vessel deployed water cannon against a Philippine boat, resulting in shattered glass panels and injuries to four sailors. — CNN