Tensions in the South China Sea have heightened once again, as coast guard vessels of China and the Philippines clashed over the weekend in the contested waters.
Overview
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Saturday that a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship had rammed into its boat and used water cannons against its vessels near the Scarborough Shoal.
Meanwhile, Chinese state mouthpiece Global Times (GT) reported that the CCG had only employed restrictive measures against the Filipino vessels because they had violated China’s sovereignty.
Amid the ongoing clashes, 200 civilians from the Philippines have set sail to the South China Sea. According to the organisers, youth leaders, fisherfolk, and media personnel left a port in Palawan province on early Sunday, and plan to go to the vicinity of Second Thomas Shoal. The civilian convoy will be escorted by the PCG, and will also visit parts of the Spratly Islands as part of a resupply mission.
Comments from the Philippines
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. slammed China’s “dangerous actions” over the weekend, calling them an “outright and blatant violation of international law.”
“The aggression and provocations perpetrated by the China Coast Guard and their Chinese maritime militia against our vessels and personnel over the weekend have only further steeled our determination to defend and protect our nation’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea,” Marcos said on X late on Sunday. Manila refers to the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea.
“We remain undeterred,” he added.
The Filipino leader added that he is in constant contact with the country’s national security and defence chiefs, and has directed uniformed personnel “to conduct their missions with the utmost regard for the safety of our personnel, yet proceed with a mission-oriented mindset.”
Statement of the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea
— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) December 10, 2023
December 10, 2023, Manila, Philippines
Today, 10 December 2023, China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) vessels harassed, blocked, and executed dangerous maneuvers on Philippine civilian supply vessels,… pic.twitter.com/NF66BqVPUM
He also reiterated that the Scarborough Shoal, as well as the Second Thomas Shoal, are within the Philippine’s maritime borders. “No one but the Philippines has a legitimate right or legal basis to operate anywhere in the West Philippine Sea,” he stressed.
Recent Conflict
Earlier this month, the PCG said that it was monitoring the “illegal presence” of more than 135 Chinese military vessels at a reef in the disputed South China Sea.
As part of its response, Manila said that its chief has ordered patrols in the vicinity of Whitsun Reef, which Manila recognises as the Julian Felipe Reef, which lies within the island country’s exclusive economic zone.
US and the Philippines
In a parallel development, the US has pledged to continue strengthening ties with the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government, along with its Indo-Pacific allies, to counter the China’s expansive territorial claims in the crucial waterway.
In a press release on Sunday, the US Department of State said Beijing had “interfered in lawful Philippine maritime operations and in Philippine vessels’ exercise of high seas freedom of navigation” by “obstructing supply lines to this longstanding outpost,” which “undermines regional stability.”
It added that such actions “reflect not only reckless disregard for the safety and livelihoods of Filipinos, but also for international law.” Referring to “an international tribunal’s legally binding decision issued in July 2016,” the US reminded China that it has “no lawful maritime claims to the waters around Second Thomas Shoal, and Filipinos are entitled to traditional fishing rights around Scarborough Reef.”
It also urged China to abide by the arbitral decision, which is “final and legally binding” and “desist from its dangerous and destabilising conduct.”