Philippine And Chinese Vessels Clash Near Spratly Islands

Posted by: lukwago J in World news June 17, 2024

A dramatic incident unfolded near the Spratly Islands in the hotly disputed South China Sea on Monday as a Philippine ship and a Chinese vessel collided. The Beijing Coast Guard swiftly reported the clash, shining a spotlight on the ongoing territorial tensions in the region.

China, disregarding rival claims from Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, maintains an assertive stance, asserting its control over almost the entire South China Sea.

This stance has been challenged by an international ruling that deems China’s claims baseless from a legal standpoint.

To safeguard its interests, China has deployed coast guard and other vessels to patrol the contested waters. Alarming reports reveal that China has even transformed several reefs into militarized artificial islands.

Consequently, Chinese and Philippine vessels have found themselves engaged in a series of confrontations within these disputed areas.

Foreigners at Risk

Adding fuel to the fire, new Chinese coast guard rules took effect on Saturday, granting them the power to detain foreigners accused of trespassing in the disputed sea. This development has raised concerns among neighboring nations, including the Philippines.

According to Beijing’s coast guard, the collision occurred due to the “unprofessional approach” of the Philippine replenishment ship, which allegedly ignored numerous warnings from the Chinese side.

The statement accused the ship of illegally intruding into the sea near Ren’ai Reef, which China refers to as the Nansha Islands.

In response, China claims to have taken control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with their laws.

International criticism

These actions have drawn sharp criticism from Manila, accusing the Chinese coast guard of engaging in “barbaric and inhumane behavior” towards Philippine vessels. President Ferdinand Marcos has expressed deep worry over the escalation of tensions.

While China defends its new coast guard rules, stating that they aim to “uphold order at sea,” incidents involving water cannon attacks on Philippine boats have been reported multiple times in the contested waters. Collisions resulting in injuries to Filipino troops have further exacerbated the situation.

International condemnation has also entered the picture, with the Group of Seven bloc issuing a strong rebuke against what they term as “dangerous” incursions by China in the South China Sea.

As tensions continue to simmer, the world watches closely to see if a resolution can be reached in this tumultuous maritime dispute.

Check also;

This is not a Paywall, but Newslex Point's journalism consumes a lot of time, hard-work and money. That's why we're kindly requesting you to support us in anyway they can, for as little as $1 or more, you can support us .

Please use the button below to contribute to Newslex Point, Inc. using a credit card or via PayPal.