- Philippine, Chinese guards clash
- Injuries, minimal damage reported
- China accused of aggression
Once more, Philippine and Chinese coast guards have engaged in combat over the contested Second Thomas Shoal, preceding a summit of regional leaders at which they were expected to escalate Beijing’s maritime aggression.
Coast guards from the Philippines and China engaged in combat in the contested South China Sea while water cannons were utilised.
It was reported that four Filipino crewmembers were injured in the confrontation that occurred before an Asian leaders’ summit where Beijing was anticipated to escalate its aggression at sea.
As per a statement from a Philippine official, two collisions occurred shortly after the dawn of the contested Second Thomas Shoal due to perilous manoeuvres executed by Chinese vessels.
This resulted in minimal structural damage to the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Sindagan.
According to the officials, more than an hour later, another Chinese Coast Guard vessel obstructed and collided with a supply boat being escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard.
The identical supply vessel, which was subsequently besieged by water cannons of the Chinese coast guard, was occupied by personnel of the Filipino navy. At least four individuals were injured and the windscreen was fractured, according to a statement from the task force for territorial disputes of the Philippine government.
China’s actions, according to the task force, were “another unlawful attempt to obstruct or impede a routine resupply and rotation mission.”
They further stated that the most recent unprovoked acts of coercion and perilous manoeuvres by China against Philippine vessels “threatened the lives of our people and resulted in physical harm to Filipinos.”
Since then, the Philippines has requested an explanation from China’s deputy chief of mission in Manila regarding the “aggressive actions” that precipitated the collision.
Claiming the Second Thomas Shoal is a territorial dispute between the Philippines and China.
Additionally, there are overlapping claims from Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan regarding the waterway, which is a significant international trade route and is thought to traverse abundant subsea gas and hydrocarbon deposits.
Since the late 1990s, a small Philippine navy and marine contingent has maintained watch aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting and marooned warship.
Off the western coast of the Philippines, China has encircled the shoal with coast guard, navy, and other vessels in an attempt to thwart Philippine efforts to deliver materials for fortifying the Sierra Madre.
The Chinese Coast Guard issued the following statement: “By the law, it took control measures against Philippine vessels that unlawfully entered the waters adjacent to Ren’ai Reef,” the Chinese term for Second Thomas Shoal.
A Philippine vessel was additionally accused of intentionally colliding with a Chinese coast patrol vessel.
Wednesday in Melbourne, a summit of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their Australian counterparts was anticipated to address the protracted tensions in the South China Sea.
Vietnam and the Philippines intended to express apprehension regarding China’s escalating belligerence in the contested waters.
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Philippine security officials accused Chinese coast guard and suspected militia vessels of not only obstructing their vessels during confrontations last year but also employing water cannons and military-grade lasers, which momentarily blinded some crew members.
However, the Chinese Embassy in Manila has defended the Philippines’ actions while accusing them of repeated provocations in the South China Sea.
Although officials from both nations met in Shanghai earlier this year and reached a consensus to reduce tensions, persistent hostilities persist.
There are concerns that the protracted tensions may spark a conflict that involves the United States as well. The United States has issued a warning that it must protect the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia.
