On June 17th, a maritime clash near Ren’ai Reef between Chinese and Filipino forces resulted in injuries to a Filipino sailor. The Philippine Defense Minister stated on Monday (June 24th) that China’s use of “aggressive and illegal force” disrupted Philippine South China Sea resupply missions, characterizing the incident as a deliberate act by China.
The Philippine Maritime Commission chairman suggested last Friday that the maritime clash could have been a misunderstanding or accident. However, Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro emphasized in a press conference on Monday: “We do not downplay this event; it was the use of aggressive and illegal force.”
“We believe the recent incident at Ren’ai Reef was not a misunderstanding or accident but a deliberate act by Chinese officials to obstruct our mission,” said Teodoro.
On June 17, the Philippine military claimed that Chinese coast guard vessels intentionally rammed and inflicted serious injuries on a Philippine vessel involved in resupplying forces stationed at Ren’ai Reef.
The Philippine military stated that Chinese coast guard personnel armed with knives and spears looted firearms from the Philippine vessel involved in the mission and “intentionally pierced” it.
Teodoro added that the Philippines’ policy in the South China Sea remains unchanged. The Philippines will continue to provide supplies to troops stationed at Ren’ai Reef without disclosing mission schedules. He stated that these missions do not require anyone’s permission or consent.
“However, we continue to seek a peaceful resolution to this issue. The Philippines is a responsible nation,” Teodoro remarked.
“We will continue to exercise our freedoms and rights under international law to support our national interests,” he said.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr stated on Sunday (June 23) that the Philippines will not provoke war and remains committed to resolving disputes peacefully.
In response to Teodoro’s statements, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the Philippines “should stop infringing and provoking” and “cooperate with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
Bloomberg reported that Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano told reporters that the latest conflict between Filipino and Chinese vessels does not fall under the “armed attack” provision of the U.S.-Philippines Defense Treaty. He explained that an armed attack is defined as “the use of military force, excessive force that could trigger collective defense.”
The U.S. State Department condemned Chinese actions as “escalatory” in disputed waters last week, while the Philippine military also released a video of what they called a “barbaric attack” by China.
Ren’ai Reef is located within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.
Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, but its claim overlaps with the Exclusive Economic Zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
A 2016 international arbitration ruling invalidated China’s claims in the South China Sea, but Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling.