The Philippine government, on Monday, summoned the Chinese ambassador and delivered a stern diplomatic complaint on the Chinese coast guard’s deployment of water cannons during a weekend encounter with Philippine warships in the contested South China Sea, according to authorities.
On Saturday, the Philippines accused China’s coastguard of deploying water cannons to stop its ships bringing gasoline, food, and other supplies for its military soldiers stationed in the Spratly Islands. As “excessive” and “dangerous,” the administration denounced the acts.
The intense hours-long confrontation took place Saturday close to Second Thomas Shoal, which is also claimed by China but has been occupied for decades by Philippine soldiers stationed on a decaying, stranded military ship. In the long-running territorial disputes in the South China Sea involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei, this was the most recent flare-up.
In a news conference on Monday, Philippine coast guard and diplomatic officials displayed videos and pictures they claimed showed two civilian boats chartered by the Philippine navy and carrying supplies to the Philippine forces at Second Thomas Shoal being blocked by six Chinese coast guard ships and two militia vessels. According to the Philippine military, the Chinese coast guard allegedly struck a supply boat with a powerful water cannon.
The officials said that only one of the two Philippine boats managed to deliver food, water, fuel and other supplies to the Philippine forces guarding the shoal.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., while speaking to reporters, said, “Our secretary of foreign affairs summoned Ambassador Huang today and gave him a note verbale, including pictures, video about what happened and we are awaiting their reply.”
National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya told reporters, “For the record, we will never abandon Ayungin Shoal. We are committed to Ayungin Shoal,” using the Philippine name for Second Thomas Shoal, which is about 200km (124 miles) from the Philippine Island of Palawan and more than 1,000km from China’s nearest major landmass of Hainan Island.
Teresita Daza, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs, said that Huang Xilian, the Chinese ambassador to Manila, was called and given a diplomatic complaint by Philippine Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro,
According to Daza, the Philippines demanded that China stop interfering with its legal activities, stop taking illegal acts against Philippine ships in the South China Sea, and respect international law, notably the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Seas.
The coast guard of Beijing said that its vessels had shot water cannons at Philippine ships that had allegedly strayed onto the Ren’ai Jiao shoal without authorization. It asserted that the Philippines failed to fulfill its commitment to eject the stuck warship off the shoal.
“In order to avoid direct blocking and collisions when repeated warnings were ineffective, water cannons were used as a warning. The on-site operation was professional and restrained, which is beyond reproach,” the Chinese coast guard said. “China will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty.”
China has long requested that the Philippines remove its navy troops and pull away the BRP Sierra Madre, a still-in-service but deteriorating ship. The ship, which was purposefully marooned on the shoal in 1999, now stands as a frail representation of Manila’s claim to the atoll.
One of the busiest maritime routes in the world, the South China maritime, has long been considered a potential flashpoint and has evolved into a rift in relations between China and the United States in the area.
Despite a 2016 international decision by an arbitration tribunal established in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea invalidating its claims, China continues to assert ownership over nearly the entire South China Sea. China continues to disobey the judgement and reject it.
The European Union, Australia, Japan, the United States, and Australia all expressed their support for the Philippines and their alarm over the Chinese measures. In the event that Philippine governmental boats and forces are subject to armed action, even in the South China Sea, Washington has once again warned that it must protect its steadfast treaty partner.
In a statement made on Sunday, the U.S. State Department said that by “firing water cannons and employing unsafe blocking manoeuvres, (Chinese) ships interfered with the Philippines’ lawful exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and jeopardized the safety of the Philippine vessels and crew,” saying that such actions are a direct threat to “regional peace and stability.”
Although the United States does not have any territorial claims in the South China Sea, it has frequently chastised China for its aggressive behaviour and sent warships and fighter planes on patrol and in joint military drills with allies in the area to defend freedom of navigation and overflight, which it contends is in the national interest of the United States.
China has threatened the United States with unnamed consequences if it continues to interfere in what it describes as a solely Asian debate.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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