Chinese and Philippine ships collide in first incident under Beijing's new coastguard law

A Philippine ship and a Chinese vessel collided after the Philippines ship "illegally entered" the waters near the Second Thomas Shoal and "dangerously approached" the Chinese ship, China Coast Guard said on Monday.

The incident took place early on Monday morning during the Philippines' latest resupply mission to a grounded navy vessel on the shoal, an atoll claimed both by Beijing and Manila.

"The Philippine supply ship ignored multiple stern warnings from the Chinese side ... dangerously and in an unprofessional manner approached Chinese vessels navigating normally, resulting in a collision," the coastguard said in a statement. It did not mention damage or injuries on either side.

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It said the Philippines ship had "illegally entered" the waters near Second Thomas Shoal and that the Chinese coastguard took "control measures" against the Philippine vessel in accordance with the law.

On Monday afternoon, the Armed Forces of the Philippines was quoted by Philippine media outlets saying Beijing's claims were "deceptive and misleading".

"The main issue remains to be the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, which infringes on our sovereignty and sovereign rights," it said. The armed forces said it would not comment on the operational details of the legal humanitarian rotation and resupply mission.

It is the first run-in since China's new coastguard rules - which allow it to detain suspected trespassers for up to 60 days - took effect on Saturday.

In 1999, Manila deliberately grounded the BRP Sierra Madre, a decrepit World War II-era ship, on the Second Thomas Shoal, and stationed Filipino soldiers there on routinely rotating duties. The soldiers based on board rely on periodic resupply missions for food, water and other necessities.

Referred to as Renai Jiao by China, the shoal under Manila's control has been the focal point of multiple sea stand-offs. The Chinese coastguard has been accused of ramming Philippine supply vessels and using water cannons against them, sometimes damaging the ship and injuring people on board.

The frequent face-offs at sea between Beijing and Manila show no sign of abating. More recently, tensions have also been brewing at Sabina Shoal, known as Escoda Shoal in the Philippines, around 139km (75 nautical miles) west of Palawan, the westernmost island province of the Philippines.

Last week, China Coast Guard said it took "restrictive measures" towards the Philippine boats that landed on the islets of Sabina Shoal - known as Xianbin Jiao in Chinese.

The recently concluded Group of Seven summit also criticised what it called the "dangerous use of coastguard and maritime militia" in the South China Sea and the "increasing use of dangerous manoeuvres and water cannons" against Philippines vessels.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea but overlapping areas are claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Last week, the Philippines submitted a claim to a United Nations body for an extended continental shelf off the coast of western Palawan province in the South China Sea. This action challenges China's sweeping territorial claims in the region.

Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal state can secure exclusive rights to exploit resources in its continental shelf, which can extend up to 350 nautical miles, including the right to authorise and regulate drilling activities.

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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