Chinese Coast Guard ships are seen from the Philippine Coast Guard Ship BRP Cabra during a supply mission at Sabina Shoal in the disputed waters of the South China Sea on August 26, 2024. | Photo credit: AFP
China said it took “control measures” against two Philippine coast guard ships that entered waters near the disputed Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday (August 26, 2024).
The China Coast Guard accused Manila of sending two ships to “illegally enter the waters near Jianbin Jiao”, using the Chinese name for Sabina Shoal.
The statement said the ships “continued to approach Chinese coast guard ships operating normally in a dangerous manner, causing chaos.”
“The Chinese coast guard took control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law,” it said.
The Philippine Coast Guard said it had dispatched two ships to deliver supplies to one of its vessels at Sabina Shoal. Manila coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarilla said as the ships approached the shoal, they were forced to abandon the resupply mission due to the “excessive” deployment of Chinese vessels and rough sea conditions. AFP,
“Six ships of the China Coast Guard, three ships of the Chinese Navy and 31 other vessels were seen in the area,” Mr Tariela said. “We were surrounded, besieged and it was difficult for us to move forward,” he said.
AFP Correspondents from several media outlets were also present on board the Philippine Coast Guard ships for the mission.
Beijing claims much of the strategic South China Sea and has been involved in maritime confrontations with Manila in recent months, raising fears of an armed conflict that could involve the United States, a Philippine military ally.
There have been several collisions in recent times around Sabina Shoal, which is located 140km west of the Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,200km from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan Island.
“The Philippine government condemns the repeated aggressive, unprofessional and illegal actions by Chinese maritime forces against Philippine ships and aircraft over the past week,” Manila’s National Maritime Council said in a statement on Monday (August 26, 2024).
Deployed ships
In recent months, both sides have deployed coast guard ships near Sabina, where the Philippines fears China is planning to build an artificial island.
On Sunday (August 25, 2024), Beijing said a Philippine ship had collided with one of its vessels near the disputed coast. The Philippines described China’s claims as “completely groundless”. In response to the clash, Beijing said on Monday (August 26, 2024) that the fault “lies entirely on the Philippine side”.
“The Philippine side has frequently sent coast guard, government and other vessels to forcibly enter the waters near Jianbin Reef,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
He said Manila was “attempting to resupply a Philippine ship that has been illegally docked in the lagoon for a long time, with the aim of establishing a long-term presence”. China deploys boats to patrol the busy South China Sea and has built artificial islands, which it has militarised, to bolster its claims.
On Saturday (August 24, 2024), Manila accused China of firing flares at one of its aircraft during a recent patrol in the South China Sea.
In June, the Philippine military said one of its sailors lost his thumb in the clash, in which Beijing’s coast guard confiscated or destroyed Philippine equipment including guns.