A Chinese coast guard ship blocks a Philippine coast guard vessel in the South China Sea, June 30, 2023. (Philippine coast guard)
China’s reported harassment of the Philippine coast guard near contested territory in the South China Sea is “irresponsible,” the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines said Friday.
Several Chinese coast guard vessels attempted on June 30 to prevent two Philippine patrol ships from reaching Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, Philippine coast guard spokesman Jay Tarriela tweeted Wednesday.
In response, Ambassador MaryKay Carlson called on Beijing to comply with a 2016 ruling that rejected its claim on the shoal.
“We are concerned by the unprofessional maneuvers of the China Coast Guard against the Philippines Coast Guard,” she tweeted. [China’s] irresponsible behavior in the South China Sea threatens the security and legal rights of our treaty ally, the Philippines.”
The Permanent Court of Arbitration – an intergovernmental organization that facilitates dispute resolution between countries – ruled in 2016 that Second Thomas Shoal is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and exempt from China’s claims.
Beijing, however, continues to assert that it’s entitled to the shoal 128 miles northwest of Palawan and 875 miles southeast of Hong Kong.
A Chinese coast guard ship blocks a Philippine coast guard vessel in the South China Sea, June 30, 2023. (Philippine coast guard)
Beijing said the Philippine vessels intruded “without Chinese permission” into waters around the shoal, known in China as Ren’ai Reef.
“In accordance with the law, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel carried out law enforcement activities to uphold China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime order,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a Thursday news conference. “The Chinese side’s maneuvers were professional and restrained.”
The Spratlys, a group of about 100 islands between Vietnam and the Philippines, are claimed in full by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Portions are also claimed by the Philippines and Malaysia.
About 45 islands are occupied by small contingents of military forces from all five countries, according to the CIA’s World Factbook website.
Second Thomas Shoal is one of nine features occupied by the Philippine military, and in recent months has become a contentious landmark as Manila and Beijing grapple over it.
The Philippines in February accused China of temporarily blinding crew members on a coast guard vessel with a “military-grade” laser during a resupply mission near Second Thomas Shoal; in April, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel blocked a Philippine patrol ship near the shoal.
Chinese vessels appear to be “exerting additional effort” to prevent ships from reaching the shoal, Tarriela, the Philippines’ coast guard spokesman, said in his tweet.
Two additional Chinese navy warships were also sighted in the area, a report Tarriela called “particularly alarming” because the Philippine vessels were on a humanitarian mission to escort boats safely.
“Despite this, the Chinese have deployed their warships, raising even greater concerns,” he said, adding that the mission was successful.
