A Chinese Coast Guard ship cruises near a Philippine vessel (R) that became part of a convoy of civilian boats in the challenged South China Sea on December 10,2023 A convoy of civilian boats preparing to provide arrangements to Filipino anglers and soldiers in the challenged South China Sea terminated the journey on December 10 after “constant shadowing” by Chinese vessels, the organiser stated.
Ted Aljibe|Afp|Getty Images
Philippine President Ferdinand MarcosJr has actually promised to step up the nation’s defense of its maritime zones in the South China Sea after Filipino and Chinese vessels clashed over the weekend in what Manila has actually identified a “serious escalation.”
Both nations stated Monday they have actually lodged shared diplomatic demonstrations, while Manila summoned the Chinese ambassador.
On Sunday, the Philippines accused China of triggering “severe damage” to among its vessels, which became part of a convoy on a resupply objective to Second Thomas Shoal, an immersed reef in the Spratly Islands in the South ChinaSea Filipino soldiers are stationed at its station on the BRP Sierra Madre, a warship grounded at the shoal in 1999 to uphold Manila’s maritime claims.
“We remain undeterred,” Marcos stated Sunday in a post on X, previously Twitter.
“The aggression and provocations perpetrated by the China Coast Guard and their Chinese Maritime Militia against our vessels and personnel over the weekend have only further steeled our determination to defend and protect our nation’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.”
China’s Coast Guard “directly targeted” Filipino vessels, “disabling the vessel and seriously endangering the lives of its crew,” according to a declaration by the Philippines Maritime Task Force, shared by Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard representative for the West Philippine Sea.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday echoed an earlier declaration from China’s Coast Guard stating the Philippines is accountable for the weekend’s maritime events after Filipino vessels disregarded cautions to keep away.
Local media reported that the Philippine Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Romeo Brawner as stating he was on board among the vessels that was rammed and sprayed with a water cannon.
‘Serious escalation’
The conflict came as the Philippines stepped up its resistance this year versus China’s aggressive claims and forecast of power over nearly the whole waterway that Manila calls the West Philippine Sea.
Other Southeast Asian nations like Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam likewise declare parts of the South ChinaSea In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague ruled that China’s extensive claims in the South China Sea have no basis in global law.
“This is a serious escalation on the part of the agents of the People’s Republic of China,” stated Jonathan Malaya, a representative for the Filipino National Security Council, on Monday.
However, he included that the weekend escalation did not make up an “act of war,” and rather defined the actions as a “cat-and-mouse game” China is engaging to advance its interests.
The conflict over the weekend happened simply weeks after leaders from both nations fulfilled to chart a method forward on the South China Sea on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders top in San Francisco.
“There is a dissonance between what is being said and promised with what’s happening in the waters,” Maria Teresita Daza, a representative for the Philippines’ Foreign Ministry, stated at the very same rundown in Manila.
While numerous Asian economies depend on China for financial development, they are likewise careful of Beijing’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and numerous have actually courted closer U.S. ties as an outcome.
Regional stability
At its routine interview in Beijing on Monday, China foreign ministry representative Mao Ning put the blame directly on the Philippines for “insisting on rushing into” challenged waters in the South China Sea.
Mao advised the Philippines to deal with China to “stop all provocations” and work to deal with concerns, cautioning that Beijing will take essential actions to handle any justifications.
She stated this was a concern in between China and the Philippines, and implicated the U.S. of “long instigating” the Philippines.
Malaya, the representative for the Filipino National Security Council, earlier refuted such claims at journalism conference. He stated the U.S.– a treaty ally– was not associated with the most recent maritime convoy.
“Obstructing supply lines to this longstanding outpost and interfering with lawful Philippines maritime operations undermines regional stability,” State Department representative Matthew Miller stated Sunday.
“As reflected in an international tribunal’s legally binding decision issued in July 2016, the PRC has no lawful maritime claims to the waters around Second Thomas Shoal, and Filipinos are entitled to traditional fishing rights around Scarborough Reef.”
