Latest Vessel Collision in South China Sea Sparks Global Backlash Against China from the Philippines

August 26, 2024 TruthUSA

Manila reported that Chinese vessels used water cannons and rammed its vessel during a resupply mission in the South China Sea.

China’s communist regime is facing international criticism after an incident near a disputed South China Sea shoal resulted in damage to a Philippine fisheries vessel.

The most recent incident occurred on Aug. 25 when the Philippine vessel, operated by Manila’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, was on a resupply mission from Hasa-Hasa Shoal to Escoda Shoal. According to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine vessel had to cut its mission short due to engine failure after being rammed and targeted with water cannons by Chinese coast guard ships.

The European Union’s ambassador to the Philippines, Luc Veron, described the Chinese regime’s naval actions as “dangerous” and “alarming,” as per an Aug. 25 X post.

“The EU firmly believes that adherence to international law, including UNCLOS [U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea], is crucial in the South China Sea as in any other place,” Veron stated.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected Beijing’s “nine-dash line” claim to approximately 85 percent of the South China Sea’s 2.2 million square miles. The ruling declared that Beijing’s territorial claims were incompatible with UNCLOS.

“Australia shares the Philippines’ concerns about further dangerous and aggressive actions by China in the sea and air, including ramming and water cannoning vessels near Sabina Shoal. Disputes must be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law,” Australia’s ambassador to the Philippines, Hae Kyong Yu, wrote in an X post.

Sabina Shoal, also known as the Escoda Shoal by the Philippines or Xianbin Reef by China, is part of the South China Sea, which the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea.

Japan’s ambassador to the Philippines, Endo Kazuya, expressed in a post on X that the recent incident was an “unacceptable development.”

“Any harassment & actions which increase tensions or obstruct freedom of navigation are not tolerated. Upholding a rules-based [international] order and adhering to commitments must prevail,” Kazuya wrote.

The most recent incident is the second vessel collision between the two parties near Sabina Shoal.

Beijing also faced international condemnation following the previous incident on Aug. 19.

The Philippines

On Monday, Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro told reporters that the Chinese regime’s actions were “patently illegal” following the collision near Sabina Shoal on Sunday.

“We have to anticipate these kinds of behavior from China because this is a battle. We need to be prepared and accustomed to these types of illegal acts by China, as we have consistently stated,” Teodoro commented.

When asked if the recent collision would activate treaty obligations between Washington and Manila, Teodoro replied: “That is getting ahead of ourselves. Let us prevent an armed attack—that is the more critical issue.”

The United States and the Philippines have a mutual defense treaty. In 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to the defense of the Philippines in a meeting with Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in New York.

Philippine House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualde also issued a statement on Monday criticizing China.

“We condemn in the strongest terms this newest reckless and dangerous maneuvers by the China Coast Guard on our vessels,” he said.

Romualde mentioned that the area where the Sunday incident occurred “is clearly within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, to which China and the Philippines are signatories.”

On Saturday, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea stated that the Chinese military had launched flares at Philippine aircraft in two separate incidents on Aug. 19 and Aug. 22.

Manila’s National Maritime Council expressed that China’s aerial and naval actions in the past week were “alarming,” as per a statement released on Monday.

“[It] calls into question China’s supposed commitment to de-escalate the situation in the area and create a conducive environment for dialogue and consultation,” the council mentioned.

The council affirmed that Manila will proceed with “the appropriate diplomatic approaches to resolve ongoing maritime issues” and urged Bejing “to return to the path of constructive dialogue” on South China Sea matters.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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