15-6-2024 (SHANGHAI) In a move that has raised alarm bells across the region, new regulations issued by Beijing will grant China’s Coast Guard unprecedented authority to detain foreign vessels and individuals in the hotly contested waters of the South China Sea for extended periods without trial.
Effective from Saturday, the revised rules empower coast guard officers to apprehend foreigners “suspected of violating management of border entry and exit” in the disputed maritime territory. Alarmingly, these detentions can last up to 60 days for “complicated cases,” with the detention period commencing only after an individual’s identity is determined if their “nationality and identity is unclear.”
Furthermore, the rules state that “foreign ships that have illegally entered China’s territorial waters and the adjacent waters may be detained in accordance with the law with the approval of the head of a Coast Guard agency at or above the municipal Coast Guard agency.”
This development is the latest in Beijing’s ongoing efforts to assert its sweeping claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, disregarding competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, as well as an international ruling that declared China’s stance to be devoid of legal basis.
Tensions between China and the Philippines have been simmering, with a series of confrontations occurring between vessels from the two nations around the Second Thomas Shoal, where Beijing has accused Manila of illegally grounding a navy vessel on the disputed reef.
The Philippines has vehemently condemned what it perceives as “barbaric and inhumane behaviour” by the Chinese coast guard against Philippine vessels. President Ferdinand Marcos, in a recent address, blasted “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive” actions in the South China Sea, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
Incidents involving the use of water cannon by Chinese coast guard vessels against Philippine boats have been reported multiple times in the contested waters, with collisions resulting in injuries to several Filipino troops.
While Beijing maintains that the new regulations are intended to “standardize the administrative law-enforcement procedures of Coast Guard agencies and better uphold order at sea,” the move has been met with widespread skepticism and concern.
Former foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin sought to allay fears, stating that “individuals and entities have no need for concern as long as they have not done anything illicit.” However, his reassurances are unlikely to quell the mounting tensions in the region.
