A Chinese coast guard ship came within 1m of colliding with a Philippine patrol ship it was trying to block in the South China Sea, in an alarming incident that intensified fears that territorial disputes in the waters could spark a larger crisis.
The Philippines yesterday strongly condemned the Chinese ship’s maneuvers near Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙), which the Asian neighbors and Taiwan claim and has been the scene of frequent confrontations.
One other Philippine coast guard vessel was blocked and surrounded by Chinese coast guard and militia ships in the incident, which dragged on for about eight hours on Wednesday.
Photo: AP
A major clash in the disputed waters could potentially involve the US, which has vowed to defend the Philippines, its treaty ally, if its forces, ships and aircraft come under armed attack.
Two smaller supply boats being escorted by the Philippine coast guard in the contested waters managed to breach the Chinese blockade and delivered food and other supplies to a Filipino marine outpost at the shoal.
“We condemn the behavior of the Chinese coast guard vessel. They have been violating international law, particularly the collision regulations,” Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said at a news conference.
A collision was averted when one of the two Philippine coast guard vessels, the BRP Sindangan, rapidly reversed its engine to avoid slamming into the Chinese coast guard ship that crossed its bow at a distance of only 1m, Tarriela said.
It’s “the closest dangerous maneuver” by any Chinese coast guard ship against a Philippine patrol ship, he said.
The incident was witnessed by several journalists, who were invited by the Philippine coast guard to join the voyage as part of a strategy aimed at exposing Chinese aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
A small contingent of Philippine marines and navy personnel has stood guard for years on a long-marooned, but still commissioned warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, at the shoal.
China has surrounded it with its coast guard ships and militia vessels to prevent the Philippines from delivering construction materials that Beijing fears could be used to reinforce the Sierra Madre and turn it into a permanent territorial outpost.
The Chinese coast guard in a statement on Wednesday night said that the Philippine vessels entered the waters “without permission from the Chinese government” and that “China firmly opposes the Philippines illegally transporting building materials to the ‘grounded’ military boat.”
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