Following a vessel collision on Sunday in the most recent flare-up in the disputed South China Sea, the coast guards of China and the Philippines have placed blame on one another.
It happened one day after the Philippines denounced the Chinese Air Force for hurling flares at a Philippine patrol aircraft. This is the second vessel collision occurrence in as many weeks.
The Philippines' BRP Datu Sanday (MMOV 3002) was headed to "resupply Filipino fishermen with diesel, food, and medical supplies" on Sunday afternoon when the incident happened, according to Philippine officials. The collision caused the vessel's engine to fail.
The Philippines alleged the Chinese Coast Guard's effort to encircle and obstruct the Philippine vessel caused the collision and released film of the event, while the Chinese Coast Guard accused MMOV 3002 of purposefully colliding with a Chinese vessel.
The Chinese Coast Guard spokeswoman, Gan Yu, said that MMOV 3002 had "intruded" into the marine region around Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands in defiance of warnings from the Chinese side in two remarks that were posted on Chinese social media channels.
Gan asserted that the Philippines should bear entire responsibility for the incident, saying that MMOV 3002 approached a Chinese Coast Guard vessel "in a dangerous manner and deliberately charging into it."
In addition, Gan reaffirmed China's territorial claims to the Spratly Islands and the surrounding waters, and he issued a warning to the Philippines against "intrusion, provocation, smearing, and sensationalizing."
In retaliation, the Philippines said in a statement shared on social media site X that MMOV 3002 had "encountered aggressive and dangerous maneuvers from eight Chinese maritime forces."
Chinese vessels allegedly "attempted to encircle and block" the Philippine vessel and "made close perilous maneuvers that resulted in ramming, blasted horns, and deployed water cannons" against the Philippine vessel, which ultimately led to its engine failure, according to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), an interagency task force made up of the Department of National Defense, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine Coast Guard.
“These unprofessional, aggressive, and illegal actions posed serious risks to the safety of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they were meant to serve. Despite these provocative maneuvers, the crew aboard the BFAR [Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources] vessel maintains high morale and remains safe and unharmed.
“Claims suggesting that our personnel fell overboard and were subsequently rescued by the Chinese Coast Guard are completely unfounded,” the NTF-WPS said, adding the “misinformation serves as a clear illustration” of the Chinese regime’s “willingness to distort the truth and engage in disinformation to bolster its public image.”
Reacting to the incident on X, U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said Beijing’s “unsafe, unlawful, and aggressive conduct” had “disrupted a legal Philippine mission, endangering lives,” representing “the latest in multiple dangerous actions by the PRC,” using the official acronym of the People’s Republic of China under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party.
“We are steadfast in supporting our [Philippine] #FriendsPartnersAllies,” she wrote.
The incident took place over the 58-square-mile atoll of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, which has been the focus of a protracted conflict between China and the Philippines for many years.
About 220 miles from Manila, the atoll is a network of reefs that is often visited by Filipino fisherman. China, on the other hand, considers the region to be its own and frequently displays its military might there.
Regarding the Philippines' dispute with the Chinese regime in the South China Sea, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rendered a decision in favor of the Philippines in 2016. Beijing maintains its claim to the region and has rejected the verdict.
The Chinese government has antagonized neighboring nations like Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan, who depend on the South China Sea for trade and fisheries, by claiming almost the whole territory as their own. The South China Sea is thought to have enormous reserves of natural gas and oil, and it is the route through which around $3 trillion worth of goods travels each year.
China and the Philippines exchanged accusations on August 19, the day after two of their coast guard vessels collided.
