In an alarming incident that intensified fears of territorial disputes in the waters, a Chinese coast guard ship nearly collided with a Philippine patrol ship, which it was trying to block in the South China Sea.
The Philippines on Friday strongly condemned the Chinese ship’s manoeuvres near Second Thomas Shoal, which the Asian neighbours both claim and has been the site of frequent confrontations.
One other Philippine coast guard vessel was blocked and surrounded by Chinese coast guard and militia ships in the incident, which dragged on for about eight hours on Wednesday. A major clash in the disputed waters could potentially involve the United States, which has vowed to defend the Philippines, its treaty ally, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under armed attack.
Two smaller supply boats being escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard in the contested waters managed to breach the Chinese blockade and delivered food and other supplies to a Filipino marine outpost at the shoal.
“We condemn the behaviour of the Chinese coast guard vessel. They have been violating international law, particularly the collision regulations,” Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said at a briefing Friday.
“A collision was averted when one of the two Philippine Coast Guard vessels, the BRP Sindangan, rapidly reversed its engine to avoid slamming into the Chinese ship that crossed its bow at a distance of only a metre,” Tarriela added.
It’s “the closest dangerous manoeuvre” by any Chinese coast guard ship against a Philippine patrol ship, he said.
The incident was witnessed by several journalists, including from The Associated Press, who were invited by the Philippine Coast Guard to join the voyage as part of a strategy aimed at exposing Chinese aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
A small contingent of Filipino marines and navy personnel has stood guard for years on a long-marooned but still commissioned warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, at the shoal. China has surrounded it with its coast guard ships and militia vessels to prevent the Philippines from delivering construction materials that Beijing fears could be used to reinforce the Sierra Madre and turn it into a permanent territorial outpost.