Manila yesterday said that Chinese vessels “intentionally hit” Philippine boats at the weekend, escalating a diplomatic row over two collisions in the South China Sea.
The countries have traded blame over Sunday’s incidents near the Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙), with both sides filing diplomatic protests and releasing video footage to support their accusations.
The two collisions happened during a Philippine resupply mission to troops stationed on a navy vessel that was grounded on the shoal in 1999 to assert Manila’s territorial claims.
Photo: EPA-EFE via the Philippine Presidential Communications Office
Philippine officials accused a China Coast Guard ship and a “militia” vessel of “dangerous maneuvering” that resulted in collisions with a Philippine resupply boat and a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.
Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro took it one step further yesterday, labeling the Chinese actions near the Second Thomas Shoal deliberate.
“Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels, in blatant violation of international law, harassed and intentionally hit Unaiza May 2 and Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Cabra,” Teodoro said.
“We are here to really decry in the strongest possible terms this egregious violation and illegal act within the [Philippines’] 200 nautical mile [370.4km[ exclusive economic zone and the obfuscation of the truth by China’s distorting the story to fit its own ends,” he said.
His comments came hours after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos met with security officials and ordered the coast guard to investigate the incident, which was “being taken seriously at the highest level of government,” his communications team said.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning (毛寧) accused the Philippines of “continuing to spread false information and hype things up.”
Earlier yesterday, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs summoned China’s ambassador to Manila and lodged a diplomatic protest over the incident.
Department spokeswoman Teresita Daza said the ambassador was unavailable and was represented by his deputy chief of mission.
Manila’s longtime ally Washington has led a chorus of international criticism of China’s alleged interference in the resupply mission.
The US Department of State on Sunday reiterated that its mutual defense pact with the Philippines “extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft — including those of its Coast Guard — anywhere in the South China Sea.”
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
IDENTITY: Compared with other platforms, TikTok’s algorithm pushes a ‘disproportionately high ratio’ of pro-China content, a study has found Young Taiwanese are increasingly consuming Chinese content on TikTok, which is changing their views on identity and making them less resistant toward China, researchers and politicians were cited as saying by foreign media. Asked to suggest the best survival strategy for a small country facing a powerful neighbor, students at National Chia-Yi Girls’ Senior High School said “Taiwan must do everything to avoid provoking China into attacking it,” the Financial Times wrote on Friday. Young Taiwanese between the ages of 20 and 24 in the past were the group who most strongly espoused a Taiwanese identity, but that is no longer
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake and several aftershocks battered southern Taiwan early this morning, causing houses and roads to collapse and leaving dozens injured and 50 people isolated in their village. A total of 26 people were reported injured and sent to hospitals due to the earthquake as of late this morning, according to the latest Ministry of Health and Welfare figures. In Sising Village (西興) of Chiayi County's Dapu Township (大埔), the location of the quake's epicenter, severe damage was seen and roads entering the village were blocked, isolating about 50 villagers. Another eight people who were originally trapped inside buildings in Tainan
SHARED VALUES: The US, Taiwan and other allies hope to maintain the cross-strait ‘status quo’ to foster regional prosperity and growth, the former US vice president said Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world. At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy strong and continued friendship based on the shared values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Such foundations exceed limitations imposed by geography and culture, said Pence, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. The US and Taiwan have shared interests, and Americans are increasingly concerned about China’s
RSS