(Updated with reaction from China)
On Sunday, a Philippine resupply vessel collided with a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship while on a mission to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the South China Sea. The collision occurred at 6:39 a.m. and involved the Philippine vessel Unaiza May 1 and CCG 21556, according to United States-based security expert Ray Powell, who monitored the incident through the automatic information system.
However, Beijing has accused the Philippine vessel of “deliberately” colliding with the Chinese coast guard ship.
This incident comes just a day after CCG ships used water cannons to obstruct three Philippine vessels near Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal. The three vessels were en route to provide oil subsidies and groceries to Filipino fishing vessels. Jay Tarriela, the coast guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, reported on social media that one of the Chinese ships also caused “serious engine damage” to one of the Philippine boats.
The collision near Second Thomas Shoal, located in the Spratly Islands, is the latest in a series of maritime incidents between the Philippines and China in the contested South China Sea. Just hours before the collision, a civilian convoy consisting of 100 Filipino fishermen set out on a mission to deliver Christmas cheer and provisions to a remote outpost, passing through Second Thomas Shoal.
Second Thomas Shoal is approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and over 1,000 kilometers from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan Island. The area is of strategic importance as a handful of Filipino troops are stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, a ship grounded on the reef in 1999 to deter China’s advances in the region. These troops rely on resupply missions for their survival.
Tarriela further revealed that in addition to the collision, the two supply boats involved in the mission and a Philippine Coast Guard vessel were also targeted with water cannons by the Chinese coast guard. One of the supply boats suffered engine damage, while the other was “rammed” by the Chinese patrol ship.
The South China Sea is a highly contested region, with China claiming almost the entire waterway and disregarding the 2016 ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, which declared that China’s claims have no legal basis. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan also have competing claims in the area.
These incidents highlight the ongoing tensions and maritime disputes in the South China Sea, which is a crucial trade route for trillions of dollars of goods annually. As the Philippines and China continue to assert their respective claims, the international community closely watches the developments in the region.
(With inputs from AFP)
Source: The Manila Times
