South China Sea: Philippines slams Beijing for ‘dangerous manoeuvres’, raising tensions

Referring to the resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal, Manila’s name for the reef, the statement on Monday by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea slammed the actions of the vessels of the People’s Liberation Army-Navy, the Chinese coastguard and Chinese maritime militia.

On Monday, the Chinese coastguard released a statement saying the Philippine vessel had “dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation unprofessionally, resulting in a collision”.

In response, Philippine military spokesman Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said: “We will not dignify the deceptive and misleading claims of the China coastguard.”

It was the third time since August that the Chinese coastguard has accused a Philippine vessel of deliberately causing a collision.

The incident was also the first since the Chinese coastguard on Saturday began enforcing a policy to detain foreigners for up to 60 days if they were found to have “illegally entered China’s territorial waters and the adjacent waters”.

However, Trinidad noted that the Second Thomas Shoal “is well within our [exclusive economic zone]”.

Monday’s collision took place during a Philippine resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era navy vessel purposefully grounded on the Second Thomas Shoal to act as an outpost that would bolster Manila’s territorial claims to the region.

Philippine Defence Chief Gilberto Teodoro slammed “China’s dangerous and reckless behaviour”. He said: “It should now be clear to the international community that China’s actions are the true obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea.”

US ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said in a statement that “the United States condemns the PRC’s aggressive,