There is an increasing international backlash after a Chines Coast Guard (CCG) ship attacked a Philippine boat using a water cannon in the region of the South China Sea. This very action happens at a time when there is already a tense situation in the region, and experts say there is a possibility that the United States and its allies will speed up the joint patrols and increase their presence in the South China Sea. It is reported that the Philippine boat was attempting to deliver essential supplies to a garrison of Philippine marines on Second Thomas Shoal. This region in the South China Sea is considered an economic zone, and China claims it as its sovereign territory.
Images for the incident are also shared in which it is clear that the Chinese ship was moving dangerously close in front of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship attempting to deliver supplies. On Saturday, PCG wrote in a statement on their official Facebook account that they strongly condemned CCG ship’s close maneuvers to boats and illegal using water cannons. On Sunday, the United States, a close ally of Manila, condemned Chinese actions and declared they would fulfill their mutual defense agreement with the Philippines.
White House clarifies that for any attack on armed forces, aircraft, or Philippine ships, including Coast Guard, also in the South China Sea, the US defense treaty covers it all. Manila can call America for defense. Strong US allies, Australia, Japan, and Germany, also discouraged Chinese attacks on boats and called it dangerous and destabilizing. Canadian Embassy in Manila said its government strongly condemns China’s dangerous and proactive actions.
China Claims The Disputed Region As Its Territory
The South China Sea has always been a bone of contention between Beijing and Manila. China alone claims indisputable sovereignty over the 1.3 million square miles South China Sea and most of the islands within it. Beijing referred to Spratlys as the Nanshas, a group of 100 tiny islands and reefs, claimed entirely or partially by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Manila refers to the region as the West Philippine Sea. To solidify its claims, the country deliberately grounded the navy transport ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999.
Source: Web
International Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague passed a ruling in 2016, making Manila’s claims more prominent. According to that ruling, China has no justification to claim rights to the whole of the South China Sea. Beijing has ignored the order and still stands by its claims. Some analysts and Manila politicians called Chinese Saturday’s action an addition to the confrontation between both countries this year. In February, a Chinese vessel aimed a laser at a Philippine ship, which was also a serious concern.
Manila Shared Details With the Chinese Embassy
Manila President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that his foreign affairs secretary shared all the details, including images and videos, with the Chinese foreign office in Manila and delivered a diplomatic note on what happened in the South China Sea. At the same time, the Philippine foreign Ministry conducted a joint press conference with the military in which they condemned the Beijing force’s actions. They declared that CCG’s actions had endangered the Philippine boat crew by attacking with water cannon and that China violated humanitarian and international law.
An analyst, Collin Koh, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said the recent incident was a clear escalation. According to the details published on their website on Sunday, the spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, Gan Yu, reported that two Filipino supply ships and two coast guard vessels had trespassed into the waters near Renai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands. This was deemed to be an illegal intrusion.
