After a month of calm, China harasses Philippine patrol in the South China Sea
The South China Sea, with its many strategic islands, is one of the biggest maritime routes in the world and has been a flashpoint between China and its neighbors. Naval aggression between the various nations is not new but follows a month of respite.
The South China Sea, with its many strategic islands, is one of the biggest maritime routes in the world and has been a flashpoint between China and its neighbors. Naval aggression between the various nations is not new but follows a month of respite.
Chinese coast guard vessels backed by navy ships fired powerful water cannons and blocked and sideswiped a Philippine patrol vessel on Dec 4. in renewed aggression at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, Philippine officials said.
Three Philippine coast guard and bureau of fisheries vessels were on routine patrol to protect Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal when several Chinese coast guard and navy ships approached and staged 鈥渁ggressive actions鈥� after dawn, the Philippine coast guard said.
There was no immediate comment from Chinese officials. In the past, they have repeatedly cited claims of Chinese sovereignty in the contested offshore region and their determination to defend what they say is their territory despite a 2016 international arbitration decision that invalidated Beijing鈥檚 historical claims.
The United States condemned China鈥檚 鈥渦nlawful use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers.鈥� U.S. Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said on the social media platform X that the Chinese maneuvers disrupted a Philippine maritime operation and 鈥減ut lives at risk.鈥�
鈥淲e condemn these actions and stand with our like-minded friends, partners, allies in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific,鈥� Ms. Carlson said.
China鈥檚 reported actions in the disputed waters came after a respite of more than a month while back-to-back major storms prevented many Philippine fishing and commercial vessels from venturing into dangerously rough seas.
Despite the Chinese ships鈥� 鈥渞eckless鈥� maneuvers, the Philippines coast guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource said they renewed their 鈥渃ommitment to protecting the rights and safety of our fishermen within our maritime jurisdiction.鈥�
鈥淲e will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding our national interests in the West Philippine Sea,鈥� the two Philippine law enforcement agencies said, using the Philippine name for the seas off the archipelago鈥檚 western coast.
The Chinese maritime maneuvers 鈥渁re not standard law enforcement actions,鈥� Philippine coast guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said, adding they 鈥渟hould be interpreted as unlawful aggression by international law violators.鈥�
China鈥檚 sweeping claims cover virtually the entire waterway and overlap with the territorial waters, exclusive economic zones, and high seas claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Indonesia has also had confrontations with the Chinese coast guard, which backs Beijing鈥檚 fishing fleets.
On Dec. 4, one of the Philippine vessels, BRP Datu Pagbuaya, was hit by high-pressure water fired from a Chinese coast guard ship with bow number 3302 which targeted its navigational antennas about 16 nautical miles south of Scarborough, Manila鈥檚 coast guard said.
Shortly after, the Chinese coast guard ship 鈥渋ntentionally sideswiped the BRP Datu Pagbuaya on its starboard side鈥� and then 鈥渓aunched a second water cannon attack on the same vessel,鈥� it said.
Philippine coast guard ship BRP Teresa Magbanua 鈥渇aced blocking, shadowing, and dangerous maneuvers鈥� by two Chinese navy and coast guard ships, it said. Another Philippine coast guard ship, the BRP Cabra, 鈥渨as subjected to reckless maneuvers鈥� by a Chinese coast guard ship at a distance of about 300 yards (274 meters), Philippine coast guard officials said.
At a news conference Dec. 4, Philippine coast guard and national security officials showed videos of the Chinese coast guard鈥檚 use of water cannon and maneuvers close to the Philippine vessels.
The long-simmering territorial disputes are a delicate fault line in the U.S.-China rivalry in the region. The U.S. lays no claims in the waters, which are a key global shipping route, but has declared that freedom of navigation and overflight and the peaceful resolution of the conflicts are in its core national interests.
The U.S. has warned that it鈥檚 obligated to defend the Philippines, a treaty ally, if Filipino forces come under attack in the South China Sea.聽The United States and the Philippines signed an agreement on Nov. 18 to secure the exchange of highly confidential military intelligence and technology in key weapons the U.S. would provide to Manila. The longtime treaty allies have boosted their defense and military engagements, including large-scale joint combat drills, largely in response to China鈥檚 increasingly aggressive actions in Asia.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.