On Thursday, the spokesperson for the Philippine Navy stated that earlier this week, the Philippine Navy encountered aggressive interference from Chinese Coast Guard while conducting a resupply mission at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. The Chinese Coast Guard behaved like a group of “barbarians,” causing injuries to Filipino personnel and damage to their ship.
According to the Philippine military, on Monday, a Philippine resupply vessel was deliberately rammed by a Chinese Coast Guard ship near the Second Thomas Shoal in an attempt to prevent the delivery of supplies to the troops stationed there, resulting in a Filipino sailor being seriously injured.
The Philippine military alleged that Chinese Coast Guard personnel carried knives and spears, seized firearms from the Philippine vessel, and intentionally punctured a Filipino rubber boat.
Roy Trinidad, the spokesperson for the Philippine Navy, expressed during a phone interview on Thursday, “We were not prepared for such an attack. We followed the rules of engagement. Apart from self-defense, our soldiers were not authorized to use firearms.”
He stated that the “illegal, aggressive, and deceptive” actions of the Chinese Coast Guard increased the risk of miscalculation at sea.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs disputed the claims made by the Philippine military. The spokesperson, Lin Jian, stated during a routine press conference on Thursday that the necessary measures taken by the Chinese Coast Guard personnel were lawful, professional, and beyond reproach. Lin said, “The Philippine vessels not only carried construction materials but also smuggled weapons and deliberately rammed into Chinese ships.”
Lin claimed, “Philippine personnel also sprayed water and threw objects at Chinese law enforcement officers, exacerbating tension at sea, seriously endangering the safety of Chinese personnel and ships.”
Over the past year, conflicts between the Philippines and China have escalated in the South China Sea. China asserts sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, while Manila refuses to cease resupply missions to the “BRP Sierra Madre” stranded at the Second Thomas Shoal. China views this as an illegal intrusion by the Philippines and has attempted to repel Philippine resupply ships.
Trinidad told reporters, “Our actions are aboveboard. But what they are doing is piracy… barbaric behavior. I call them a group of barbarians. They have no right to wear uniforms, and the Coast Guard personnel should be responsible for maritime safety, but their actions endanger lives at sea.”
He added, “This is not a good look for a country aspiring to be a global power.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo on Wednesday to discuss China’s behavior in the South China Sea. Washington, along with the UK and Canada, have condemned the actions of the Chinese Coast Guard.