5-7-2023 (MANILA) The Philippines has accused China’s coast guard of harassment and “dangerous manoeuvres” against its vessels in another incident near a strategic feature in the South China Sea that has become a flashpoint between the two nations. Philippine coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said that Philippine coast guard boats were constantly followed, harassed and obstructed by larger Chinese coast guard vessels while assisting a naval operation on June 30 near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef over which the Philippines stakes a claim to sovereignty via a handful of troops who live aboard a World War II-era American ship.
Tarriela added that the presence of Chinese navy ships in the area was alarming and raised greater concerns. The shoal is located inside the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone. However, China claims almost the entire South China Sea via a “nine-dash line” on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of other neighbouring countries.
The issue of sovereignty over the South China Sea has been a contentious one for many years, with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia all claiming parts of the area. China’s claims have been disputed by neighbouring countries and the international community, with the Permanent Court of Arbitration stating in 2016 that the “nine-dash line” has no basis under international law.
China’s embassy in Manila has not yet responded to the accusations made by the Philippines, and the issue was not mentioned during the regular briefing by the foreign ministry in Beijing on Wednesday.
The incident near the Second Thomas Shoal is not the first time that the Philippines and China have clashed over territorial claims in the South China Sea. In February of this year, the Philippine military accused China of aggression and directing a “military-grade laser” at one of its vessels during a resupply mission for the troops stationed on the Sierra Madre, the World War II-era American ship that was intentionally grounded in 1999.
The tension between the two nations has been a cause for concern, not only for the Philippines but also for the international community, given the strategic importance of the South China Sea as a vital shipping lane for global trade.
