China says Philippines rammed Chinese boats, attacked personnel in Second Thomas Shoal stand-off

Beijing has hit back at Manila's accusations of aggression in a stand-off in the South China Sea this week, saying Philippine vessels deliberately rammed Chinese boats, carried weapons and attacked Chinese personnel near a disputed shoal.

Chinese boats intercepted a Philippine vessel heading to the Second Thomas Shoal on Monday on what Manila described as a routine humanitarian resupply mission to its troops stationed on the outcrop. The shoal is part of the Spratly Islands and is claimed by both countries.

But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in Beijing on Thursday that the Philippine operation was "absolutely not about humanitarian resupply".

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"The Philippine vessels secretly carried construction materials and even weapons and equipment, and they deliberately rammed Chinese vessels," Lin said.

He said Philippine personnel "also splashed water and threw things to Chinese enforcement personnel" and the acts "clearly escalated tensions at sea and severely threatened the safety of Chinese personnel and vessels".

Lin's comments followed the release on Wednesday of footage that Manila said showed Chinese personnel deploying tear gas, damaging their equipment and waving weapons.

The Philippine military called the incident "a brazen act of aggression", accusing the Chinese coastguard of "employing physical attacks, bladed weapons, blaring sirens, and blinding strobe lights".

It accused the Chinese side of "intentional high-speed ramming" and said eight Philippine sailors were injured in the face-off, including one who lost a thumb.

According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Chinese coastguard personnel were caught on camera "brandishing an assortment of bladed and pointed weapons threatening to injure [Philippine] troops".

It also said the Chinese coastguard's "coercive, aggressive, and barbaric actions" resulted in severe damage to Philippine vessels, including communication and navigation equipment.

Philippine navy spokesman Roy Trinidad said on Thursday that the Chinese personnel acted like a "band of barbarians", according to a report by Reuters.

"We were unprepared for that kind of response," Trinidad said. "We stuck with the rules of engagement. They were not allowed to use guns except for self defence."

He said China's "illegal, aggressive and deceptive" actions raised the risk of miscalculation at sea.

But Lin said the Philippine side's statements "completely distorted facts" and were an attempt to "shift blame".

"The Philippine side illegally intruded into the waters of Renai Jiao without China's permission," he said, referring to the Chinese name for the shoal, which is known as Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines.

"The Chinese side took necessary measures in accordance with the law to safeguard its sovereignty, which were lawful and justified and done in a professional and restrained manner.

"We urge the Philippine side to immediately stop infringement and provocation at sea, otherwise they will bear the consequences."

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV also released photos on Wednesday showing the Philippine supply boat surrounded by four Chinese vessels, including a coastguard ship, with crew members boarding the boat.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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