The Philippines has summoned Beijing’s envoy after accusing the Chinese Coast Guard of wounding three of its soldiers during a water cannon attack in the disputed South China Sea.
The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs, in a statement on Monday, said Manila conveyed its “strong protest against the aggressive actions” undertaken by China’s Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militias against the Philippine mission near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs, in a statement on Monday, said Manila conveyed its “strong protest against the aggressive actions” undertaken by China’s Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militias against the Philippine mission near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
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Beijing and Manila have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and there have been repeated confrontations between their vessels near disputed reefs in recent months. Beijing has deployed hundreds of coastguard vessel throughout the South China Sea to patrol what it considers its territory, despite the Permanent Court of Arbitration making clear in 2016 that its vast claim had no basis under international law.
The latest incident took place on Saturday near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands during a regular Philippine mission to resupply Filipino troops garrisoned on the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded navy ship.
- The Philippines said the China Coast Guard blocked its supply vessel and damaged it with water cannon, injuring three soldiers.
- The China Coast Guard has defended its actions, describing them as “lawful regulation, interception and expulsion” of a foreign vessel that “tried to forcefully intrude” into Chinese waters.
On Monday, Manila conveyed its “strong protest against the aggressive actions undertaken by the China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia against the rotation and resupply mission undertaken by the Philippines in Ayungin Shoal,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said, using the Filipino name for Second Thomas Shoal.
It said the Philippine embassy in Beijing also lodged a similar protest with the Chinese foreign ministry.
“In these demarches, the Philippines stressed, among others, that China has no right to be in Ayungin Shoal,” the foreign affairs department said.
“The Philippines demands that Chinese vessels leave the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal and the Philippine exclusive economic zone immediately.”
It said the Philippine embassy in Beijing also lodged a similar protest with the Chinese foreign ministry.
“In these demarches, the Philippines stressed, among others, that China has no right to be in Ayungin Shoal,” the foreign affairs department said.
“The Philippines demands that Chinese vessels leave the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal and the Philippine exclusive economic zone immediately.”
- It is the same location where Chinese ships have unleashed water cannon and collided with Filipino vessels in similar stand-offs in recent months.
“On March 25, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines made solemn representations to the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the recent illegal intrusion of Philippine ships into Ren’ai Reef to carry out the replenishment of supplies,” the embassy said in a statement on social media service WeChat, using the Chinese name for Second Thomas Shoal.
Despite the incident at the weekend, Philippine officials said the damaged vessel and a coastguard escort ship that came to its aid later deployed rigid-hull inflatable boats to deliver its cargo and personnel to the outpost.
The damaged supply boat and its escorts sailed back to port after completing their mission, the task force said.
- Filipino soldiers stationed on the shoal live on the crumbling BRP Sierra Madre, and require frequent resupplies for food, water and other necessities as well as transport for personnel rotations.
The damaged supply boat and its escorts sailed back to port after completing their mission, the task force said.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
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