MANILA/BEIJING. A fresh confrontation between China and the Philippines unfolded in the contested waters of the South China Sea on Sunday, sparking renewed tensions despite recent diplomatic efforts to rebuild trust between the two nations. The incident occurred during a resupply mission that Manila insists was aimed at aiding Filipino fishermen, marking the latest in a series of maritime confrontations in the strategic waterway.
The Philippine government accused China of “aggressive and dangerous maneuvers” intended to block the resupply mission. In response, China’s coast guard claimed it had implemented “control measures” against a Philippine vessel that allegedly “illegally” entered Chinese waters and approached Chinese ships in a hazardous manner.
The clash took place near the Sabina Shoal, where the Philippine South China Sea task force reported that Chinese vessels rammed a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries ship and used water cannons against it. The Philippine vessel was carrying food, fuel, and medical supplies for Filipino fishermen when the incident occurred.
China, on the other hand, asserted that the Philippine ship had “ignored repeated serious warnings and deliberately approached and rammed” a Chinese law enforcement boat, leading to a collision. “The responsibility for the collision lies entirely on the Philippine side,” the Chinese coast guard stated.
China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, including areas contested by the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brunei. Despite an international arbitral tribunal ruling in 2016 that Beijing’s expansive claim had no basis under international law, China has continued to assert its dominance by deploying a large number of vessels to the region.
In a bid to ease tensions, the Philippines and China had agreed last month to “restore trust” and “rebuild confidence” in managing their maritime disputes. This was followed by a provisional arrangement that allowed Manila to conduct resupply missions to a grounded Filipino naval ship in the South China Sea.
However, Sunday’s confrontation has cast a shadow over these diplomatic efforts. “These unprofessional, aggressive, and illegal actions posed serious risks to the safety of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they were meant to serve,” the Philippine task force said in a statement.
The task force further reported that the Bureau of Fisheries vessel, operating between Half-Moon Shoal and Sabina Shoal, encountered multiple Chinese vessels engaging in “perilous maneuvers.” These actions led to the Philippine vessel’s engine failure, forcing it to abandon the resupply mission.
Manila has reiterated its call for Beijing to cease “provocative actions that destabilize regional peace and security.”
The latest clash follows accusations by Manila on Saturday that Beijing had “unjustifiably” fired flares from the China-occupied Subi Reef on Thursday while a Philippine aircraft was conducting patrols. Additionally, the same aircraft reportedly “faced harassment” from a Chinese fighter jet during a surveillance flight near Scarborough Shoal earlier in the week.
The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, echoed Manila’s concerns, condemning China’s actions. “We stand with our Philippine allies in calling for an end to these dangerous provocations,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson stated.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
