China’s latest bullying condemned
VESSELS of the China Coast Guard (CCG) fired water cannons at Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships and military-chartered boats transporting supplies and troops to a Philippine-held shoal in the disputed West Philippine Sea in the South China on Saturday.
The PCG and the Armed Forces yesterday denounced latest Chinese aggression that occurred near Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) which is occupied by Filipino troops onboard the grounded Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the PCG “strongly condemns” the CCG’s “dangerous maneuvers and illegal use of water cannons” against the PCG vessels escorting the military-chartered “indigenous boats.”
“These boats were delivering food, water, fuel and other supplies to our military troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal,” he said.
The United States reiterated its support for Manila as it said China’s vessels “interfered with the Philippines’ lawful exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and jeopardized the safety of the Philippine vessels and crew.”
“The United States reaffirms an armed attack on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces — including those of its Coast Guard in the South China Sea — would invoke US mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 US Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” the US State Department said in a statement.
Japan and Canada said China’s act was unacceptable while other countries expressed concern over the latest harassment case.
China’s coast guard countered that it had implemented necessary controls in accordance with the law to deter Philippine ships, which it accused of trespassing and carrying illegal building materials.
China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu said China has “indisputable” sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and their adjacent waters, including the Second Thomas Shoal. “We urge the Philippine side to immediately stop its infringing activities in this waters,” Gan posted on the coast guard’s WeChat social media account.
Tarriela said China’s actions did not only disregard the safety of the crew members of the PCG vessels and the supply boats going to Ayungin Shoal, which is about 108 nautical miles northwest of Rizal, Palawan, but also violated international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
The PCA ruling invalidated China’s excessive nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea. It also recognized the Philippine rights to its 200-nautical miles exclusive economic zone.
RESTRAINT
Tarriela made several appeals to China, including restraining its forces and taking action against the Chinese personnel involved in the incident.
“The PCG calls on the China Coast Guard to restrain its forces, respect the sovereign rights of the Philippines in its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, refrain from hampering freedom of navigation, and take appropriate actions against the individuals involved in this unlawful incident.
“We ask that China Coast Guard, as an organization with a responsibility to observe state obligations under UNCLOS, COLREGs (Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea), and other relevant instruments of international maritime safety and security, to cease all illegal activities within the maritime zones of the Philippines,” added Tarriela.
Armed Forces spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said the military “strongly condemns and expresses grave concern” over the CCG’s “excessive and unlawful actions against Philippine vessels near Ayungin Shoal.”
Aguilar said one of the AFP-chartered supply boats was “blocked and water cannoned” by a CCG vessel during the routine rotation and resupply mission (RORE).
Aguilar said the act was “in wanton disregard of the safety of the people on board” and in violation of UNCLOS and the PCA ruling.
“Because of the CCG’s dangerous maneuvers, the second supply boat was not able to unload the supplies and could not complete the RORE mission,” said Aguilar.
PRUDENCE
Aguilar urged the CCG and China’s Central Military Commission to exercise prudence in their actions in the area to avoid endangering lives of people.
“We call on the China Coast Guard and the Central Military Commission to act with prudence and be responsible in their actions to prevent miscalculations and accidents that will endanger peoples’ lives,” said Aguilar.
It was the second time China used water cannons in its growing number of harassment cases against the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.
The first was also in Ayungin Shoal, in November 2021, when CCG vessels blocked and fired water cannons at two military-contracted civilian vessels delivering supplies to the shoal. No one was hurt but the outrigger of one of the boats was damaged, prompting the PCG to abort the mission.
Tarriela and Aguilar declined to give more details on the latest Chinese harassment. They said representatives from the PCG, AFP and other government agencies will provide further information about the incident during a press conference today.
“We all agreed that the details of the incident will only be discussed tomorrow… so I won’t be answering or responding to any questions regarding the incident (as of now),” Tarriela said.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, an assertion rejected internationally, while Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines have various claims to certain areas.
Beijing often irks its neighbors with maritime actions they call aggressive and with longer-term activities like building islands on reefs and equipping them with missiles and runways.
REPEATED THREATS
Washington said Beijing has no lawful claim around Ayungin Shoal, which it said is within Manila’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone based on the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
“Such actions by the People’s Republic of China are inconsistent with international law and are the latest in repeated threats to the status quo in the South China Sea, directly threatening regional peace and stability,” the State Department said.
It also said: “The United States reiterates, pursuant to the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, the arbitral decision is final and legally binding on the PRC and the Philippines. The United States calls upon the PRC to abide by the arbitral ruling as well as to respect the freedom of navigation — a right to which all states are entitled.”
Australian Ambassador Hae Kyung Yu said Canberra is concerned over the latest action directed against the Philippines, which she said is “dangerous and destabilizing.”
“We reiterate our call for peace, stability, and respect for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas in the South China Sea-a vital international waterway,” the envoy said.
Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko, in a tweet on his official account, said, “Totally unacceptable any harassment & actions which infringe on lawful activities of the sea and endanger the navigational safety. We strongly support the Philippine position, upholding maritime order based on UNCLOS & 2016 Arbitral Award.”
PROVOCATIVE
The Embassy of Canada in Manila called the Chinese action unsafe and its use of water cannons against Filipino vessels totally unacceptable.
“Canada unreservedly condemns the dangerous and provocative actions taken by the Chinese Coast Guard against Philippine vessels on August 5, in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal inside the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. Unsafe maneuvers and the use of water cannons to disrupt the lawful operation of Philippine vessels is unacceptable, and inconsistent with the obligations of the People’s Republic of China under international law,” it said.
“Continuing acts of intimidation and coercion against the PRC against its neighbors undermine safety, security and stability across the region, and raised the risk of grave miscalculation,” it added.
The embassy also reiterated Ottawa’s support to Manila and the 2016 arbitral ruling which it said is “final and binding.”
EU Ambassador Luc Veron said, “Very concerned about dangerous action in South China Sea. EU stands with the Philippines in upholding the rules-based international order. The EU supports the legally binding nature of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration,” Veron said.
The British Embassy in Manila said the incident poses serious risk to peace and stability in the region.
“The UK is concerned by reports of unsafe conduct towards Philippine vessels in a recent incident in the South China Sea. Such action poses serious risks to regional peace & stability. The United Kingdom stands steadfast in its commitment to international law, in particular UNCLOS, in the South China Sea,” the embassy said.
DUPLICITY
The latest incident comes after the Senate passed a resolution strongly condemning China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea. The resolution also urged the government to take actions, including bringing the issue to the United Nations, in case Chinese harassment continues.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the latest Chinese bullying is a classic example of “might versus right.”
“By its actions, it shows diplomatic duplicity, of preaching about amity, but practicing hostile behavior. Gusto naming makipag-kaibigan pero bakit China, ang hirap mong mahalin? (We want to be friends but why is it so hard to love you, China)?” Zubiri said in a statement.
Zubiri said the latest incident “reaffirms the merit” of the resolution which was adopted by the Senate last week.
“Because China contemptuously ignores protests, all the more that we have to rally the world to condemn acts which have no place in a civilized order,” he added.
Senate majority leader Joel Villanueva said: “This kind of bullying must stop!”
“We urge the Department of Foreign Affairs to implement the courses of action stipulated in the resolution passed in the Senate to finally put an end into this harassment and bullying by China.”
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said the PCG should find a way to outsmart the China Coast Guard when it sails to the WPS for a resupply mission.
“Use diplomacy and ‘intelligent tactics.’ The MDT (Mutual Defense Treaty) should not be invoked lightly. Use our ‘kokote’ (brains) not the MDT,” he added.
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said China’s repeated harassment and bullying of Philippine vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone is unjustifiable.
“China’s repeated provocations are in complete violation of UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award. I call on our regional neighbors and the broader international community to join the Philippines in condemning this dangerous behavior,” she said.
Hontiveros said the Philippines “can start joint patrols” with other claimant countries so they can protect their respective areas from China’s incursions.
Sen. Francis Escudero said the government should summon the Chinese ambassador “to explain” while calling on the Department of Foreign Affairs to file another diplomatic protest.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa said China really cannot be trusted.
“If our President is facing theirs, we are treated as friends, but its troops are acting otherwise,” he said in Filipino.
Dela Rosa said the only way to possibly stop China’s aggression is to meet it with “force” but said the Philippines cannot do it due to lack of military capability.
Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said China’s aggression is an “insult” to the Philippines since it was done just days after the Senate adopted a resolution condemning China’s harassment and bullying of the country’s vessels and urged the DFA to take steps against Beijing’s inappropriate behavior at the WPS.
Also, China’s harassment took place weeks after former President Duterte met with Chinese President XI Jinping. — With Ashzel Hachero, Raymond Africa and Reuters
