In a recent incident unfolding in the South China Sea, Chinese coast guard vessels and a navy helicopter disrupted a scientific survey being conducted by Philippine fisheries boats, leading to the termination of the operation, the Philippine coast guard reported on Saturday.
China has consistently claimed sovereignty over a significant portion of the South China Sea and frequently accuses neighboring countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam, of violating its territorial claims. The country outlines its claims using a line made up of ten dashes on various maps; however, the precise coordinates of these claims remain undisclosed.
The confrontation occurred near Sandy Cay, a group of three uninhabited sandbars located between a Chinese-controlled artificial island and a Philippine-occupied island in the Spratly archipelago. According to the Philippine coast guard, the Chinese vessels approached two larger Philippine ships, prompting them to take evasive actions to avoid collision, while a Chinese military helicopter flew dangerously low over two smaller Philippine boats, consequently halting the survey work.
A statement from the Chinese coast guard asserted that the Philippine vessels were expelled from the area for allegedly entering Chinese waters without authorization and attempting to collect sand samples on what they call Tiexian Reef.
Videos released by the Philippine coast guard depicted one Chinese vessel maneuvering in close proximity to a Philippine ship and another showcasing a Chinese helicopter hovering over rough seas near a vessel displaying a Philippine flag.
This incident is one of many in the ongoing territorial disputes within a vital global trade and security area, potentially challenging the United States’ role as a counterbalance to China’s increasingly assertive military actions. Former President Donald Trump’s administration faced its own challenges regarding these tensions, while his predecessor, Joe Biden, aimed to foster security alliances across Asia in response to China’s aggressive maneuvers in regions such as the South China Sea, East China Sea, and around Taiwan, which Beijing has stated it intends to reclaim by force if needed.
In a recent communication, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed concerns with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, regarding China’s destabilizing actions in the South China Sea. Reports indicate that Rubio highlighted that such behavior from the People’s Republic of China undermines regional stability and contradicts international law.
Rubio also reiterated the United States’ unwavering support for the Philippines based on their Mutual Defense Treaty. Biden’s administration has consistently warned China of America’s obligations to defend the Philippines, stating that armed attacks on Filipino forces, vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would trigger U.S. response. Meanwhile, China has cautioned the U.S. to refrain from involving itself in what it regards as a regional dispute.
This dispute is not new; dating back to 2017, China accused the Philippines of clandestinely planning to occupy one of the three contested sandbars near Thitu Island, an accusation that escalated tensions at that time. A confrontation materialized, marked by the presence of multiple Chinese military assets surrounding the sandbars. Chinese and Philippine diplomats managed to defuse this situation by agreeing to refrain from interactions on the sandbars. Nonetheless, Chinese vessels have consistently monitored the area since.
In addition to this situation, the Philippine coast guard has been actively instructing Chinese vessels to steer clear of Scarborough Shoal, another contentious area located approximately 124 nautical miles from the northwestern coast of the Philippines. The Philippine coast guard recently reported instances where Chinese ships have encroached as close as 60 nautical miles from the Philippine coast, breaching the country’s exclusive economic zone, where the Philippines holds rights to resource extraction. The Philippine coast guard asserted that while foreign ships have the right to innocent passage as per the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, they have directed Chinese vessels to vacate the area in light of their claims. In response, the Chinese coast guard has ignored these directives, insisting that the area falls within its territorial waters and demanding that the Philippines cease what it describes as provocative actions and unfounded claims.
