ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The Philippine military and the Chinese coast guard were involved in a confrontation after the Chinese coast guard fired a water cannon at a Philippine ship delivering supplies around the contested South China Sea.
The shooting was reported to have occurred on Saturday, March 23, 2024 morning.
The Philippine military said the confrontation lasted nearly an hour. The incident occurred when the Philippine Military was trying to supply logistics to soldiers stationed on the abandoned naval ship, Sierra Madre.
Reported by Al Jazeera, the Philippine military also released a video clip showing a white ship marked ‘Chinese Coast Guard’ crossing the bow of a gray ship identified as the Philippine supply ship Unaizah.
“The supply ship UM4 suffered serious damage at around 08:52 (00:52 GMT) due to continuous water cannon blasts from the CCG ship,” the military said in a statement without elaborating on the damage.
A Philippine Coast Guard escort vessel later reached the damaged vessel ‘to provide assistance’. This incident is said to have not only happened once.
The Unaizah ship on May 4 was also damaged by a Chinese Coast Guard water cannon attack on Second Thomas Shoal earlier this month. The ship was escorted by two Philippine coast guard ships and two Philippine Navy ships.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a separate statement that one of the escort ships, the BRP Cabra, was “obstructed and surrounded” by three Chinese coast guard ships and other ships on Saturday morning.
The Philippines also believes that China shows disregard for the Convention on International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS).
Meanwhile, Chinese Coast Guard Spokesman Gan Yu said that the Philippine convoy forcibly intruded into the area despite China’s repeated warnings and route control.
Yu also emphasized that they had given warnings that China was carrying out ‘control, obstruction and eviction in accordance with the law’.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea even though an international tribunal in 2016 found the nine-dash line on which Beijing bases its claims to be unfounded.
On the other hand, the Philippines claims the sea area around its coast as do Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Manila then strengthened its military relations with the United States (US), its old ally, because the situation was increasingly tense.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also visited the Philippines last week and emphasized that the US commitment to Manila was very strong.
Although the US does not claim these strategic waters, they have sent naval vessels to carry out transit missions through these waterways in activities they call “freedom of navigation” operations which were later criticized by China. (ATN)
Check out other news and articles at Google News and WA Channel