World Courant
Two nations are concerned in a second incident this month on the controversial Second Thomas Shoal.
Manila has accused the Chinese language coast guard of firing water cannons at one among its provide boats, within the newest incident between the 2 nations within the disputed South China Sea.
The Philippine army mentioned the confrontation lasted practically an hour on Saturday morning and occurred because it tried to resupply a small garrison of sailors aboard the sunken Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal.
The shoal, identified within the Philippines as Ayungin, has been the scene of a number of related clashes in latest months. It’s positioned about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan, and greater than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the southern Hainan Island in China.
The army launched a video clip displaying a white vessel carrying the Chinese language Coast Guard crossing the bow of a grey vessel recognized on Might 4 because the Philippine provide boat Unaizah and releasing its water cannon.
“The UM4 provide boat suffered heavy injury at round 08:52 (00:52 GMT) because of the continued firing of water cannons from the CCG ships,” the military mentioned in an announcement, with out giving particulars of the injury.
A Philippine Coast Guard escort ship later reached the broken boat “to offer help,” the army mentioned.
Gan Yu, a Chinese language coast guard spokesman, mentioned the Philippine convoy “forcibly entered the realm regardless of the Chinese language facet’s repeated warnings and route checks,” including that the Chinese language “carried out management, obstruction and expulsion in accordance with the regulation”.
China claims virtually your entire South China Sea, regardless of a global courtroom ruling in 2016 that the nine-dash line on which it bases its declare was unfounded. The Philippines claims components of the ocean round its coasts, as do Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. The self-governed island of Taiwan can also be a claimant.
Manila has revived and expanded its army ties with the USA, a long-time ally, because the scenario has develop into extra tense.
America doesn’t lay declare to the strategic waters however has despatched naval vessels on transit missions throughout the waterway in what it calls “freedom of navigation” operations which have been criticized by China.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Philippines final week and emphasised that the US dedication to Manila was “rock strong”.
Two days after that go to, China’s coast guard additionally tried to evict Filipino scientists who had landed on two bays close to Scarborough Shoal, a disputed rock within the South China Sea that Beijing captured from the Philippines in 2012 after a months-long standoff.
The Chinese language Coast Guard ship tries to dam the availability mission. The Unaizah Might 4 had simply returned to sea after an incident earlier this month (Armed Forces of the Philippines through AP Photograph)
The Might 4 Unaizah had returned to sea after being broken by a Chinese language Coast Guard water cannon assault at Second Thomas Shoal earlier this month. It was escorted by two Philippine Coast Guard ships and two Philippine Navy ships, a Philippine army assertion mentioned.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, a Philippine Coast Guard spokesman for South China Sea points, mentioned in a separate assertion that one of many escort ships, the BRP Cabra, was “hindered and surrounded” by three Chinese language Coast Guard and different vessels early Saturday .
In consequence, Cabra was “remoted from the availability boat because of the irresponsible and provocative habits of the Chinese language naval forces,” he added.
The Chinese language facet confirmed a “disregard” for the Conference on Worldwide Rules for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), the assertion mentioned.
The Sierra Madre ran aground in 1999, and troops residing on the warship often require meals, water and different provides.
Philippines accuses China of recent water cannon assaults in South China Sea | South China Sea Information
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