The Coast Guard vessels and ships from the two nations are acutely confronting
Philippines insists on the damage of such as the hull
China is firmly confronting, saying it was an appropriate action
In the disputed waters of the South China Sea, a Chinese coast guard vessel and a Philippine ship have collided once again. At this point, these clashes between the two nations have nearly become a daily occurrence.
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According to diplomatic sources in Beijing on the 5th, the Chinese coast guard claimed it took “appropriate action against a Philippine ship that illegally entered our waters.” This likely refers to their use of force, such as firing water cannons, to drive the Philippine ship away.
On the other hand, the Philippines tells an entirely different story. According to Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, a Philippine vessel on a supply mission near the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands was hit by a Chinese Coast Guard ship, damaging the hull. He explained that “the collision occurred when the Chinese coast guard ship and other vessels dangerously blocked our ship.”
The stance of the Philippine government is not much different. They claim that four soldiers aboard what appears to be a supply ship were injured by the water cannons fired by the Chinese vessel. They also state that the transportation of military supplies was disrupted.
The Philippines has some military forces and warships stationed in the Second Thomas Shoal area within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This can be seen as a reflection of their determination not to be pushed around by China. This is evident from the fact that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared at a side event of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, Australia, the previous day (local time) that he would not succumb to China’s threats in the South China Sea and would defend his territory.
For several years, China has claimed that its territorial waters are about 90% of the area within the nine-dash line, a U-shaped line drawn in the South China Sea. In response, the Philippines filed a lawsuit with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), and in 2016, it won a judgment stating that China’s territorial claims had no basis under international law.
Despite this, China has not changed its position and continues to have friction with neighboring countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam. In particular, in August, November, and December last year, it deployed its coast guard vessels near the Second Thomas Shoal and fired water cannons at Philippine ships. This has inevitably heightened tensions between the two countries. It would be strange if the daily clashes between the two countries over the sovereignty of the South China Sea were not a regular occurrence.
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