South China Sea: photos show Chinese coastguard encircled, boarded Philippine boat

Four Chinese vessels surrounded a Philippine navy boat as coastguard crew boarded during a tense stand-off in the disputed South China Sea on Monday, photos released by Chinese state media show.

The rigid-hulled inflatable boat was on a supply mission to a grounded Philippine warship on the Second Thomas Shoal, which is part of the Spratly Islands claimed by both Beijing and Manila.

It was the first "boarding inspection" carried out since China introduced new law enforcement procedures for its coastguard on Saturday. The amended guideline allows the coastguard to inspect cargoes during ship checks in "Chinese territory".

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Photos released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday showed the Philippine supply boat surrounded by Chinese vessels, including a small coastguard ship, with several crew boarding the boat.

Manila has a handful of troops stationed on the World War II-era navy ship it deliberately grounded in 1999 to stake its claim to the Second Thomas Shoal, called Renai Jiao by China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines.

Beijing says supply missions to the outpost for food and basic living items are allowed, but it draws the line at using "this as an excuse for delivering construction materials in an attempt to permanently occupy Renai Jiao".

Chinese coastguard members are seen on the deck of the surrounded Philippine resupply boat on Monday. The Chinese characters read, clockwise from left: "Philippine hard shell inflatable boat", "coastguard 21551 small boat", "our small boats", "our small fishing boat". Photo: CCTV alt=Chinese coastguard members are seen on the deck of the surrounded Philippine resupply boat on Monday. The Chinese characters read, clockwise from left: "Philippine hard shell inflatable boat", "coastguard 21551 small boat", "our small boats", "our small fishing boat". Photo: CCTV>

The Philippine military accused the Chinese side of "intentional high-speed ramming" in the incident early on Monday. Chinese coastguard forces towed and then abandoned two of Manila's rubber boats while also confiscating firearms from them, media reports said.

Eight Filipino sailors were injured in the face-off, including one who lost a thumb, according to Associated Press.

The Chinese coastguard earlier said that measures were taken against Philippine vessels, including warnings and interceptions, boarding inspections and forced evictions, as they had "illegally entered" the waters and "dangerously approached" a Chinese ship. The responsibility for the "slight collision" lay "entirely with the Philippine side" it said.

Beijing and Manila also traded blame over the skirmish, the latest in a string of confrontations over the past year in the busy, resource-rich waterway.

The Philippine foreign ministry called the Chinese actions "illegal and reckless". "[Manila] has been exerting efforts to rebuild a conducive environment for dialogue and consultation with China on the South China Sea," the ministry said on Wednesday. "This cannot be achieved if China's words do not match their actions on the waters."

Beijing rejected the charge, saying no direct measures were taken against Philippine personnel.

"Law enforcement measures taken by the Chinese coastguard on the spot were professional and restrained, aimed at stopping the illegal replenishment by Philippine vessels, and no direct measures were taken against Philippine personnel," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Li Jian said.

Blaming the incident on the Philippines, Lin said Manila had been trying to send construction materials and even weapons and ammunition to the troops stationed on the shoal as part of plans to occupy the disputed reef in the long term.

Confrontations in the South China Sea over the past year have included alleged ramming, and the use of water cannons and sometimes military-grade lasers against Philippine ships.

The frequent clashes have heightened fears of a hot conflict in the strategic waterway, especially as the Philippines leans closer to its treaty ally, the United States.

Washington on Monday said it stood with its long-time defence ally, and condemned Beijing's "escalatory and irresponsible actions" in the South China Sea.

The US also reiterated that armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, aircraft, and coastguard would invoke their mutual defence treaty.

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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