20-6-2024 (MANILA) The Philippines has issued a stern call to China, urging the global superpower to align its actions with its rhetoric in the contentious South China Sea dispute. In a statement released on Wednesday (June 19), the Philippine foreign ministry condemned China’s “illegal and aggressive” actions during a routine resupply mission on June 17, which resulted in severe injuries to a Filipino navy sailor and damage to Manila’s vessels.
“The department has been exerting efforts to rebuild a conducive environment for dialogue and consultation with China on the South China Sea,” the ministry stated. “This cannot be achieved if China’s words do not match their actions on the waters.”
The incident in question occurred when the Philippine military attempted a resupply mission for troops stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal, a strategic outpost in the disputed waters. According to Philippine officials, the mission was met with an “intentional-high speed ramming” by the Chinese Coast Guard, resulting in serious injuries to a Filipino sailor.
The Philippine military described the Chinese actions as deliberate, accusing the Coast Guard personnel of carrying knives and spears, looting firearms, and “deliberately puncturing” Philippine boats involved in the mission.
“They have no right or legal authority to hijack our operations and destroy Philippine vessels,” stated military chief Romeo Brawner during a briefing on Wednesday. “They boarded our boats illegally, they got our equipment, they acted like pirates.”
LOOK: China Coast Guard brandish bladed weapons and pickaxe at Philippine soldiers in a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal inside the Philippines’ exclusive military economic zone (Photos: @TeamAFP) @gmanews @24orasgma pic.twitter.com/Oxz0PtOfDv
— Joseph Morong ???????? (@Joseph_Morong) June 19, 2024
China’s Coast Guard, however, offered a contrasting account, claiming that Manila’s vessel deliberately and dangerously approached a Chinese ship in an unprofessional manner, prompting them to take “control measures, including boarding inspections and forced evictions.”
The injured Filipino sailor, who lost a finger in the incident, received a medal for wounded personnel from the military chief on Wednesday and is currently recovering in a hospital.
The incident has drawn international condemnation, with Britain, Canada, and the United States expressing concern over China’s actions, which coincided with the implementation of Beijing’s new coast guard rules allowing the detention of trespassers without trial.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a call with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo on Wednesday to discuss China’s actions in the South China Sea and reaffirmed US commitments to the Philippines under their defence treaty, according to the State Department.
The Second Thomas Shoal, known as Renai Reef by China and Ayungin by the Philippines, has been a longstanding point of contention in the South China Sea dispute. China claims almost the entire region, while the Philippines maintains a warship, Sierra Madre, beached in 1999 to reinforce its sovereignty claims, with a small crew stationed there.
In January, Manila and Beijing agreed to improve maritime communication through talks, particularly regarding the shoal. However, the recent incident has cast a shadow over these efforts, with the Philippines urging China to match its rhetoric with its actions in the disputed waters.
