Manila said Monday that Chinese ships “deliberately rammed” Philippine ships at the weekend, escalating a diplomatic row over two collisions in the South China Sea.
Both countries blamed each other for Sunday’s incident near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. Both sides filed diplomatic protests and released videos to support their accusations.
Both collisions occurred during a Philippine supply mission for troops stationed on a navy ship anchored in the shallow waters in 1999 to assert Manila’s territorial claims.
Philippine officials accused the Chinese Coast Guard ship and a “militia” vessel of carrying out “dangerous maneuvers” that resulted in a collision with a Philippine supply ship and a Philippine Coast Guard ship.
Philippine Defense Minister Gilbert Teodoro took it a step further on Monday, calling China’s actions near Second Thomas Shoal deliberate.
“Chinese Coast Guard vessels and maritime militia blatantly violated international law by harassing and deliberately attacking the Unaiza May 2 and the Philippine Coast Guard Ship BRP Cabra,” Teodoro said.
“We here strongly condemn in the strongest possible terms the egregious violations and illegal acts in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and the obfuscation of the truth by China which is twisting the story to suit its own interests.”
His comments came hours after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with security officials and ordered the coast guard to investigate the incident, which was “taken seriously at the highest levels of government,” his communications team said.
Earlier on Monday, the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Manila, Huang Xilian, and lodged a diplomatic protest over the incident.
Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
Tensions flared last August when Chinese Coast Guard ships used water cannons against a Philippine supply mission to Second Thomas Shoal, preventing one of the vessels from delivering its cargo. (ab/uh)