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- The Philippine Coast Guard on Sunday accused the China Coast Guard of “extremely damaging” one of its vessels which was “directly damaged” by the water, and lay the other boat.
- Both of them were part of a resupply trip to the Second Thomas Shoal, where Filipino soldiers are staying on a warship in the reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
- The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that China’s extensive claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis.
- China says the Philippines is responsible for “trying to rush into” disputed waters in the South China Sea.
A Chinese Coast Guard ship sails next to a Philippine ship (R) that was part of a civilian crew in a dispute in the South China Sea on December 10, 2023. A group Civilian ships planning to deliver food for Filipino fishermen and soldiers in the disputed South China Sea halted the trip on December 10 after being “shadowed” by the ships. China, the organization said.
Ted Aljibe | Afp | Getty Images
The President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has pledged to increase the country’s security in its maritime zones in the South China Sea, after Filipino and Chinese ships collided over the weekend in what has been called Manila is a “big king”.
Both countries said on Monday they had made diplomatic objections, but Manila summoned the Chinese ambassador.
On Sunday, the The Philippines sued China causing “extreme damage” to one of its ships, which was part of a resupply expedition to the Second Thomas Shoal, a reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea . Filipino soldiers are stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, a warship that was put on the dock in 1999 to reinforce Manila’s claims.
“We remain uncertain,” Marcos said Sunday in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“The attack and incitement by the China Coast Guard and their Chinese Maritime Militia against our ships and workers over the weekend has intensified. It is our determination to protect and defend our nation’s sovereignty, rights, and justice in the West Philippine Sea.
The Chinese Coast Guard “directly targeted” Filipino ships, “making the ship unable to operate and endangering the lives of its crew,” according to a statement by the Philippine Maritime Task Force. shared by Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard for the West Philippine Sea.
On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China echoed it a preliminary statement from the Chinese Coast Guard said the Philippines was responsible for the maritime disaster over the weekend when Filipino boats ignored warnings to leave.
The local media reported that the Chief of Staff of the Philippines, Romeo Brawner, said that he was on one of the boats that had been set adrift.
The dispute comes as the Philippines escalated its protests this year against China’s strong claims and hopes of power over almost the entire body of water claimed by Manila. the West Philippine Sea.
Other Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam also claim parts of the South China Sea. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that many of China’s claims in the South China Sea have no basis in international law.
“This is a serious incident on the part of members of the People’s Republic of China,” said Jonathan Malaya, a spokesman for the Filipino National Security Council, on Monday.
However, he added that the weekend was not an “act of war,” but he described the actions as a “cat-and-mouse game” that China is participating in to expand his hobbies.
The dispute over the weekend came just weeks after leaders of the two countries met to chart a way forward in the South China Sea on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. in San Francisco.
“There is a conflict between what is said and promised and what is happening in the sea,” said Maria Teresita Daza, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Philippines, in the same discussion in Manila.
While many Asian economies rely on China for economic growth, they are also wary of Beijing’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and many have become hostile to US ties because of the result.
In his regular press conference in Beijing on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning blamed the Philippines for “rushing in” to disputed waters in the South China Sea. South China.
Mao urged the Philippines to work with China to “stop all terrorism” and work to solve problems, warning that Beijing would appropriate actions to deal with any triggers.
He said that this is a matter between China and the Philippines, accusing the United States of “long-standing instigation” of the Philippines.
Malaya, the spokesperson for the National Security Council of the Philippines, initially denied the claims in a press conference. According to him, the US – a joint partner – was not affected by the recent maritime crisis.
According to the US State Departmentanother incident at the Scarborough Reef on Saturday used sounding devices, disarming the Filipino crew, and driving away the Philippine fishing boats.
“Disrupting supply lines in this old location and disrupting legitimate Philippine maritime activities undermines regional stability,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller on Sunday.
“As reflected in the legal decision of the international court issued in July 2016, the PRC has no legal claim to the waters around the Second Thomas Shoal, and Filipinos are entitled to traditional fishing rights in Scarborough Reef .”