MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels were seen in the disputed South China Sea on Tuesday as Southeast Asian leaders gathered for a summit that was expected to touch on Beijing’s acts of aggression. Four Filipino crew members were injured in the high seas collision. Ocean.
Philippine officials said the Chinese coast guard vessel and its companion vessel intercepted the Philippine coast guard and a supply vessel off the disputed Second Thomas Shoal and engaged in dangerous maneuvers that resulted in the loss of a Chinese vessel and two Philippine vessels. Two minor collisions occurred between them.
Philippine President confirms defense of South China Sea territory against China
Chinese authorities have not provided many details, but the country’s coast guard has accused Philippine ships of trespassing in the area and one of them ramming a Chinese vessel. .
Philippine officials said the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Sindangan sustained minor structural damage in the collision, which occurred shortly after dawn. More than an hour later, another Chinese Coast Guard ship first blocked its path and then collided with a supply ship being escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard, officials said.
The supply ship, which was manned by Philippine Navy personnel, was then sprayed with water from two Chinese Coast Guard vessels. The windshield was broken and at least four Filipino crew members were injured, according to an announcement by the Philippine government’s task force for dealing with territorial disputes.
The task force said the Chinese actions were “a renewed attempt to unlawfully disrupt or disrupt routine resupply and rotation missions.”
“China’s recent unprovoked coercive actions and dangerous operations” against Philippine ships en route to transporting supplies and new troops to the occupied shallow waters “endanger the lives of our people and expose Filipinos to real consequences.” caused damage,” the paper said.
Manila’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned China’s deputy ambassador to express its protest against the Chinese Coast Guard’s actions, calling them unacceptable.
“The Philippines demands that Chinese vessels immediately leave the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal,” the ministry said in a statement, using the Philippine name for the disputed shoal.
A small unit of Philippine Marines and Navy has been keeping watch on the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting warship stranded in the shallow waters of Second Thomas Shoal since the late 1990s.
China also claims this shoal off the coast of the western Philippines, and its coast guard has been ordered to prevent the Philippine military from delivering construction materials to fortify the Sierra Madre island during a decades-long standoff. The atoll is surrounded by ships, naval forces, and other ships.
The shoal was the site of several tense skirmishes between Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels last year.
“We have taken enforcement action in accordance with the law against a Philippine vessel that illegally entered the waters adjacent to Ren’ai Reef (which the Chinese government calls Second Thomas Reef),” the China Coast Guard said in a statement.
The Chinese Coast Guard announced that a Philippine ship intentionally rammed a China Coast Guard vessel, causing minor injuries.
The United States strongly condemned the actions of the Chinese coast guard, and Ambassador Mary Kay Carlson in Manila said the United States stands with the Philippines and its supporters of international law. Australia and Japan each expressed concern about China’s actions.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in Washington that the incident showed China’s “reckless disregard for the safety of Filipinos and international law,” and that China was “compromising the Philippines’ legitimate maritime activities.” ”, he said.
Long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea are scheduled to be discussed at a summit between the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Australia in Melbourne on Wednesday.
On Monday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in the Australian city that his administration would “do whatever it takes” to deal with any threats to Philippine territory, but Manila said it would “do whatever it takes” to address any threats to Philippine territory. We will continue on the path of dialogue and diplomacy.” conflict with China.
The Philippines and Vietnam will be wary of China’s increasingly aggressive actions in disputed waters during the summit, a senior Southeast Asian diplomat said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. told the Associated Press.
Philippine security officials have said that in a series of high seas clashes last year, vessels suspected to be Chinese coast guard and militia intercepted Philippine ships and used water cannons and military lasers to attack some Filipino crew members. He was accused of causing temporary blindness.
The Chinese embassy in Manila condemned the Philippines for its frequent provocative actions in the South China Sea, saying China was acting “in accordance with the law to protect its sovereignty, rights and interests.”
The clash raised fears of a major conflict involving the United States.
Chinese and Philippine officials met in Shanghai in January and agreed to take steps to ease tensions, but recent maritime clashes have underscored the difficulties.
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The United States has warned that it has an obligation to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if its military, ships and aircraft come under armed attack in the South China Sea or elsewhere. China has warned the United States to stop interfering in what it describes as a purely Asian conflict.
Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the strategic waterway, a major global trade route and believed to rest on rich undersea oil and gas deposits. ing.
