Peace and Freedom
Policy and World Ideas
South China Sea: Philippine soldiers in dramatic stand-off with Chinese coastguard ships
ABOARD A PHILIPPINE MILITARY PLANE ABOVE THE SOUTH CHINA SEA (Undefined) (AFP) – Philippine soldiers aboard a fishing vessel engaged Saturday in a dramatic stand-off with Chinese coastguard ships near a remote South China Sea reef claimed by both countries, an AFP journalist witnessed.
AFP
The Philippine ship finally slipped past the Chinese blockade to reach Second Thomas Shoal, where a handful of Filipino marines are stationed on a Navy vessel that has been grounded there since 1999 to assert their nation’s sovereignty.
The Philippine military said the ship, a fishing vessel with soldiers on board, had completed its mission to deliver fresh supplies to the navy ship and rotate the troops.
“They were able to pass through the Chinese coastguard vessel and the mission is a success,” Cherryl Tindog, a spokeswoman for the military’s western command, told AFP.
“We have successfully re-supplied and rotated the troops.”
An AFP reporter and photographer were on a Philippine military plane that circled above the area during the stand-off, which they said lasted for about two hours.
Four Chinese vessels had encircled Second Thomas Shoal as the Philippine vessel approached, according to the AFP reporter.
Two of the vessels, with “Chinese coastguard” written on the side of the boats, then chased the Philippine boat and tried to block it from reaching the shoal.
The vessels appeared to get within a few hundred metres of each other.
China claims most of the South China Sea, even waters and islets approaching its neighbours.
Second Thomas Shoal is part of the Spratlys, a chain of islets and reefs that sit near key shipping lanes, are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and are also believed to lie atop huge oil and gas reserves.
They are around 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,100 kilometres from the nearest major Chinese land mass.
The Philippines grounded an old Navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, at Second Thomas Shoal in 1999, four years after China built structures on nearby, Filipino-claimed Mischief Reef.
Filipino troops have kept a presence on the ship ever since.
However, until this month, China had never sought to block the Philippines from re-supplying or rotating its soldiers there.
China successfully turned away a Philippine re-supply boat on March 9. Saturday’s mission was the next attempt.
Although the military does not release figures on the number of soldiers stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, there are believed to be fewer than 10.
Saturday’s confrontation occurred a day before the Philippines was due to file its case with a United Nations tribunal to challenge China’s territorial claim to most of the South China Sea.
The Philippines’ legal case has infuriated China, which has said it will not participate. China has also warned the Philippines that bilateral relations will suffer if it continues to pursue its appeal to the United Nations.
Related:
South China Sea: Philippines On Guard Against China’s Negative Reaction to International Arbitration
A Philippine Marine aboard the Philippine Government vessel AM700 throws the line as it docks beside the Philippine Navy ship LT 57 Sierra Madre off Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, Saturday, March 29, 2014 off South China Sea on the West Philippine Sea. China Coast Guard vessel attempted to block the vessel earlier which carried supplies and troops to replace their fellow marines who were deployed for almost five months. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Second Thomas Shoal is also called Ayungin
Filipino Marines are stationed aboard the grounded Philippine naval vessel BRP Sierra Madre
Above: China says it has sovereignty over all inside the “Nine Dash Line” as seen here.
China has claimed much of the South China Sea for itself — claims that have upset many in the region, especially Vietnam and the Philippines. A huge wealth of untapped oil is believed to be below the sea here.
Above: A Chinese patrol ship
The chart below shows the area declared by China on 1 January 2014 as “an area under China’s jurisdiction.” China says “foreign fishing vessels” can only enter and work in this area with prior approval from China. Vietnam, the Philippines and others have said they will not comply with China’s law.
Tags: arbitration, Ayungin, BRP Sierra Madre, Brunei, China, Chinese Blockade, Chinese coast guard, Chinese coastguard ships, Filipino fishermen, Filipino Marines, International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, Malaysia, Mischief Reef, oil and gas reserves, Philippine soldiers,Philippine Supply Ship, Philippines, Philippines military, Philippines re-supplied and rotated its soldiers, Scarborough Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal, South China Sea, Spratlys, Taiwan, United Nations, United Nations tribunal, Vietnam
Leave a Reply