Philippines lodges its ‘strongest protest’ against China, Beijing urges Manila to ‘stop infringements’

The Philippines lodged its “strongest protest” against Beijing yesterday and summoned a senior Chinese diplomat over a water cannon assault by the Chinese coast guard that injured Filipino navy crew members and heavily damaged their boat in the disputed South China Sea, officials said.

Two Chinese coast guard ships hit a Philippine navy-operated supply boat with water cannons Saturday in the latest and most serious confrontation between the rival Asian claimants near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, which is surrounded by Chinese vessels in a bid to dislodge Philippine forces from there.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila issued a statement by the Chinese coast guard that warned the Philippines against “playing with fire.”

Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro in a phone call with her Chinese counterpart expressed “the Philippines’ strongest protest against the aggressive actions undertaken by the China coast guard and Chinese maritime militia against the rotation and resupply mission undertaken by the Philippines,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

It added that it separately summoned a senior Chinese diplomat in Manila to convey the protest and demand that Chinese ships immediately leave the waters around Second Thomas Shoal, which lies in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, and for China “to stop violating international law,” the Associated Press has reported.

Philippine defense, security and foreign affairs officials convened a meeting yesterday to discuss new steps to deal with what they say is China’s unacceptable and provocative actions in the South China Sea.

According to AP, their recommendations would be submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and were not immediately released to the public.

On Sunday, China’s Ministry of National Defense urged the Philippines to stop all infringements and provocative actions around Ren’ai Reef in the South China Sea.

Ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian made the remarks after Philippine ships illegally entered waters adjacent to Ren’ai Reef, off China’s Nansha islands.

China Daily reported that, Wu said on Saturday, three Philippine vessels illegally intruded into the waters during an attempt to transport supplies and construction materials to a military vessel that the Philippines intentionally grounded on the reef in 1999.

The China Coast Guard lawfully and properly regulated, intercepted and expelled the Philippine vessels, resolutely thwarting the Philippines’ provocative attempt to encroach on Chinese territory, Wu said, adding that the incident was entirely provoked by the Philippines, and China’s handling of the situation was standard, reasonable, lawful and professional.

China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu said in a statement issued on Saturday that just 18 days after the last round of resupply — which he earlier described as “a temporary special arrangement out of humanitarian concern” — the Philippines had broken its pledge to respect China’s territorial waters and again dispatched two coast guard ships and one supply vessel to infringe into the waters near Ren’ai Reef, attempting to carry out “abnormal resupply operations and transport construction materials” to the grounded vessel.

He said the Philippine side had provocatively seized the opportunity to infringe on China’s rights and intentionally destroy the peace and stability of the South China Sea.

“At the scene, the Philippine supply ship disregarded the Chinese side’s repeated dissuasion, warnings and navigation control, and still forcefully intruded,” Gan said.

He said that in response, the China Coast Guard implemented interception, obstruction and expulsion following laws and regulations, handling the situation in a “reasonable, lawful, professional and standardized manner”.

“We warn the Philippine side: those who play with fire will only humiliate themselves,” he said. “The China Coast Guard is always on high alert, resolutely safeguarding national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

Wu emphasized that China holds indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha islands, including Ren’ai Reef and adjacent waters.

“China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are not to be violated,” he said. MDT/Agencies