The Philippines accuse China’s coast guard of harassment

On Wednesday, the Philippines accused China’s coast guard of engaging in harassment, obstruction, and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels near a strategic feature in the South China Sea that has been a source of tension between the two countries.

According to Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine coast guard, the incident occurred on June 30 while Philippine coast guard boats were assisting a naval operation. Tarriela stated in a tweet that the Philippine vessels were constantly followed, harassed, and obstructed by much larger Chinese coast guard vessels. The incident took place near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef that the Philippines claims sovereignty over and where a small group of Philippine troops reside on a grounded World War Two-era American ship.

China’s embassy in Manila did not provide an immediate response to the accusations, and the issue was not addressed during the regular briefing of the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing.

Tarriela mentioned that the Philippine vessels had to reduce speed to avoid a collision but did not provide details about the nature of the naval operation.

The Philippine military conducts regular resupply missions for the troops stationed on the Sierra Madre, the grounded US ship. In February, the Philippines accused China of aggression after it alleged that a Chinese vessel directed a military-grade laser at one of its vessels during a resupply mission.

The Second Thomas Shoal is situated within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone. Tarriela expressed concern over the presence of Chinese navy ships in the area, describing it as alarming and raising greater concerns.

China has previously stated that its coast guard conducts regular operations in what it considers Chinese waters. China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea are based on a “nine-dash line” depicted on its maps, which extends into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. However, in 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that the nine-dash line has no basis under international law.