On Monday, June 17, after a collision incident between Chinese and Filipino vessels in the South China Sea, both sides began to blame each other. The U.S. State Department subsequently condemned the increasingly irresponsible actions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), stating that this escalation is the latest in a series of provocative acts by the CCP.
A Chinese ship and a Filipino supply vessel collided near the disputed Ren’ai Reef in the South China Sea on Monday. The Philippines stated that its armed forces would resist Chinese actions in the disputed waters, marking the latest in a series of escalating confrontations.
The Chinese Coast Guard claimed that at 5:59 local time on Monday, a Filipino supply vessel “illegally intruded” into the waters near Ren’ai Reef, stating that responsibility for the collision lies entirely with the Philippines.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement condemning the CCP’s escalating and irresponsible actions in preventing the lawful delivery of humanitarian supplies to Filipino military personnel stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre. The State Department reiterated that the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty applies to any armed attack on Filipino armed forces, vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea.
The State Department highlighted that the Chinese vessels dangerously and intentionally used water cannons against Filipino ships, obstructing the towing of the damaged vessel and endangering Filipino military personnel’s lives, which it described as reckless behavior threatening regional peace and stability.
“This escalation is the latest in a series of provocative acts by the PRC (CCP), aimed at blocking the much-needed supplies from reaching the military personnel stationed on the Sierra Madre,” the State Department statement said.
The U.S. State Department also emphasized that the CCP has repeatedly disregarded international law in the past year. The statement mentioned that on May 19, the Chinese Coast Guard harassed and unlawfully detained Filipino soldiers receiving medical treatment and airdropped supplies. Additionally, over the past year, the CCP has used water cannons and dangerous maneuvers multiple times to disrupt routine resupply missions to the Philippines. Beijing’s actions reflect a consistent disregard for the safety of Filipinos and international law in the South China Sea.
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson also condemned the “aggressive and dangerous” actions of the CCP in a post on X, stating that the collision resulted in “personal injuries.”
In recent months, Chinese and Filipino vessels have clashed multiple times near Ren’ai Reef. The reef is located within the Philippines’ 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Beijing claims sovereignty over the area.
Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, a crucial maritime trade route exceeding $3 trillion annually, with the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei all asserting sovereignty over parts of the South China Sea.
In July 2016, an international tribunal unanimously ruled that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) had no legal maritime claims in the waters surrounding Ren’ai Reef. The U.S. State Department statement also referenced this ruling, highlighting that the reef is a low-tide elevation clearly situated within the Philippines’ EEZ. According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the ruling is a final and binding decision, legally binding on both the PRC and the Philippines.
The Chinese Coast Guard claimed that the Filipino supply vessel ignored multiple warnings.
The Philippine South China Sea Task Force rebutted by stating that Chinese vessels collided with and towed Filipino ships, endangering lives and causing damage. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro expressed in a statement, “The Philippine armed forces will resist China’s dangerous and reckless actions in the West Philippine Sea.”
“China’s actions are a real obstacle to peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the statement said.
Subsequently, China warned the Philippines not to intrude into its claimed so-called territorial waters and issued a new regulation, effective from June 15, implementing a law from 2021 that allows the Chinese Coast Guard to use lethal force against foreign vessels in waters it claims sovereignty over.
The new regulation permits the Chinese Coast Guard to detain alleged intruders for 60 days without trial.
In response, the Philippine Coast Guard announced deployment orders for two vessels to patrol around the Scarborough Shoal on Monday to ensure the safety of Filipino fishermen. The Scarborough Shoal is the second hotspot where Chinese and Filipino forces come into conflict, located approximately 640 kilometers (345 nautical miles) from Ren’ai Reef.
Furthermore, the U.S. Pacific Fleet stated on Monday that the U.S. military, along with Canadian, Japanese, and Filipino forces, concluded a two-day joint maritime exercise within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone in the South China Sea.
(Some parts of this article were referenced from reports by Reuters)