China Blames Philippines for Ship Strikes in South China Sea, Manila Rebuts China has accused the Philippines of causing three “close encounters” between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea, blaming Manila for “dangerous and provocative” actions. However, the Philippine government has refuted the Chinese report, calling it “misleading.” According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the incidents occurred on January 29, March 2, and March 16. In each case, China claims its vessels were conducting routine patrols when Philippine vessels engaged in “unsafe and unprofessional” maneuvers, leading to the near-collisions. The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) has strongly rejected China’s claims, stating that it was Chinese vessels that made “unilateral and dangerous maneuvers” towards Philippine ships. The DND highlighted that the Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels were carrying out legitimate law enforcement operations within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The DND also released a video showing what it called the “aggressive and dangerous” actions by the Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5205 towards two Philippine vessels on March 16. The video shows the Chinese vessel repeatedly maneuvering in close proximity to the Philippine ships, despite warnings to maintain a safe distance. The escalating tensions between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea come as part of a larger dispute involving several countries in the region, including Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, and Vietnam. China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire sea, while other countries have competing claims based on historical, legal, and economic rights. The South China Sea is a major shipping lane and is believed to contain significant oil and gas resources. The territorial disputes have led to frequent incidents between vessels from different countries, raising concerns about potential military conflict in the region. The latest incident between China and the Philippines highlights the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea and the need for peaceful resolution through diplomatic channels. Both countries have a responsibility to prevent further escalation and work towards building trust and cooperation in the disputed waters.Collision Near Spratly Islands Raises Territorial Tensions
Collision Near Spratly Islands Raises Territorial Tensions Taipei – A Chinese ship and a Philippine supply ship collided Monday near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, China’s coast guard said, sparking concerns about escalating territorial disputes. The Coast Guard stated that a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, which is claimed by several countries. The Philippines maintains that the shoal lies within its internationally recognized exclusive economic zone and cites a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s extensive historical claims to the South China Sea. China’s coast guard alleges that the Philippine vessel “ignored China’s repeated solemn warnings… and unprofessionally dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation, resulting in a collision.” The Philippine military dismissed the Chinese coast guard’s report as “deceptive and misleading” and stated that it would not disclose operational details of a “lawful humanitarian rotation and supply mission” to the shoal, which is within Philippine territorial waters. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. vowed to oppose “China’s dangerous and reckless behavior,” which he said “contradicts their declarations of good faith and decency.” Accompanying the supply ship were two speedboats carrying construction materials and supplies for a military ship stationed on the shoal, according to China’s Foreign Ministry. The incident adds to a series of recent confrontations near the shoal, which is less than 200 nautical miles from the Philippine coast. The Philippine outpost there, the BRP Sierra Madre, has been grounded since 1999 and remains an actively deployed military ship. China has become increasingly assertive in its claim to the South China Sea, leading to direct conflicts with other regional countries, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam. A new Chinese law allows the coast guard to seize foreign ships and detain crews for up to 60 days for “illegally entering China’s territorial waters.” The law also authorizes the coast guard to fire on foreign ships if necessary. The territorial disputes have strained relations and raised fears of a military confrontation between China and the United States, the Philippines’ long-time ally. Washington has no territorial claims in the South China Sea but has warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if its forces are attacked. Other countries involved in the disputes include Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. The territorial disputes are considered a flashpoint in Asia and a potential fault line in the ongoing US-China rivalry in the region.
China has accused the Philippines of being responsible for a series of ship collisions in the South China Sea, but Manila has dismissed the claims as “misleading.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that a Philippine navy ship had rammed and damaged a Chinese fishing vessel near the Paracel Islands on June 9. The statement also said that a Philippine coast guard ship had collided with a Chinese fishing boat near the Spratly Islands on June 12. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) responded by saying that the Chinese report was “misleading” and that the Philippine navy ship had only “responded to a distress call” from the Chinese fishing vessel. The DFA also said that the Philippine coast guard ship had only “engaged in a lawful interception” of the Chinese fishing boat. The South China Sea is a major source of tension between China and the Philippines. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire sea, but the Philippines and other countries in the region also have claims. The Philippines has accused China of building military bases on artificial islands in the sea, which China denies. The ship collisions are the latest in a series of incidents that have raised tensions between the two countries. In 2019, a Chinese coast guard ship rammed and sank a Philippine fishing boat, killing 22 Filipino fishermen. The incident sparked outrage in the Philippines and led to calls for the government to take a more assertive stance against China.
