China tells Philippines to remove outpost at Second Thomas Shoal

CHINA on Monday asked the Philippines to remove its grounded warship from Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea after blocking and shooting water cannons at vessels of its neighbor on a resupply mission at the weekend.

In a statement posted on its website, China’s coast guard also accused the government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. of violating its sovereignty, its own commitments and international law.

“China urges the Philippines to tow away the grounded warship from the Ren’ai Reef and restore (it) to its original state,” it said, referring to Second Thomas Shoal, which the Philippines calls Ayungin.

The Philippines on Sunday accused China’s coast guard of blocking and shooting water cannons at its vessels, condemning the “excessive and offensive actions.”

The Chinese action was done “in wanton disregard of the safety of the people on board and in violation of international law,” the Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement on Sunday.

The Philippine Coast Guard vessels were escorting two supply boats charted by the Philippine Navy to deliver food and other supplies to Filipino troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef where a handful of its troops live on a rusty World War II-era US ship that was intentionally grounded in 1999.

The Chinese coast guard’s “dangerous maneuvers” prevented a second boat from unloading the supplies and completing the mission for BRP Sierra Madre, the grounded warship, the Philippine military said.

At least 10 Chinese vessels were involved in Saturday’s incident, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay T. Tarriela told a joint briefing with the National Security Council and the Foreign Affairs department. The Philippine military had used two Filipino wooden boats to deliver supplies to the shoal, he added.

Philippine Navy vessels were deployed in the area to support the resupply mission, but they were also shadowed by the two People’s Liberation Army vessels, Armed Forces spokesman Medel Aguilar told the same briefing.

He said the resupply mission had been delayed several times due to two typhoons that hit the Philippines in the past weeks. The Philippines would not waiver in its commitment to provide supplies to Filipino troops in the West Philippine Sea, he added, referring to areas of the sea within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita C. Daza said the Philippines had summoned Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian over the incident. He was also given a note verbale protesting China’s actions, she added.

But the Chinese Coast Guard said the shoal has always been part of China’s Nansha or Spratly Islands. It said the Philippine government had repeatedly promised to tow away the grounded warship, “but 24 years have passed, and the Philippines has not only failed to tow away the warship, but also attempted to repair and strengthen it on a large scale to achieve permanent occupation of Ren’ai Reef.”

“The Philippine side’s move has seriously violated China’s sovereignty, violated its own commitments, and violated international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed by China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries,” it added.

‘CLEAR AND FIRM’
China claims sovereignty over more than 80% of the South China Sea based on a 1940s map. Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan Brunei and Malaysia also claim parts of the major waterway.

A United Nations (UN)-backed tribunal in the Hague favored the Philippines and voided the claim in 2016. China has ignored the ruling, which has received international support.

Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Monday said the country continues to assert its sovereignty and territorial rights despite challenges in the South China Sea. The Philippines had relayed its complaint against China, he added.

No one was injured in the sea incident, but the Philippine is thinking about the next steps for its resupply missions.

In its statement, the Chinese Coast Guard said told the Philippines not to send ships to Second Thomas Shoal and not to send “construction materials used for large-scale repair and reinforcement” after learning of the replenishment plan.

It added that it blocked the Philippine vessels “in accordance with the law.” “In order to avoid direct blocking and collisions when repeated warnings were ineffective, water cannons were used to warn. The on-site operation was professional and restrained and beyond reproach.”

It said China’s position on Second Thomas Shoal is clear and firm. “China will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty. At the same time, it once again calls on the Philippines to accept China’s proposal and discuss specific measures to control the situation on Ren’ai Reef through negotiations.”

China often irks its neighbors with maritime actions they call aggressive and with longer-term activities like building islands on reefs and equipping them with missiles and runways.

After Saturday’s incident, the US State Department said China’s “repeated threats to the status quo in the South China Sea (were) directly threatening regional peace and stability” and that Washington stands with its Philippine allies in the face of such “dangerous actions.”

“The United States reaffirms an armed attack on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces — including those of its coast guard in the South China Sea — would invoke US mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 US Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” it said in a statement.

The German Embassy in Manila said it was concerned about the use of water cannons by Chinese Coast Guard vessels against a lawful Filipino resupply mission within the Philippine’s own exclusive economic zone.

“We urge all parties to respect the rules-based international maritime order (UNCLOS and Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea), with the 2016 arbitral award at its center,” it said in a statement. “In light of recent events, Germany stresses that disputes must be resolved peacefully not by force or coercion.”

The Philippine Senate last week adopted a resolution urging the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to file a resolution before the UN General Assembly calling on China to stop harassing Philippine vessels and violating Philippine rights at sea.

The resolution also called on DFA to bring to international attention China’s harassment of Filipino fishermen and its refusal to follow the Hague ruling.

In his second address to Congress last month, Mr. Marcos Jr. touted his foreign policy — “a friend to all and enemy of none” — that he said has proven effective.

He said the government would continue to forge more international partnerships “that will lead to a more balanced trade strategy and a healthier economic position.” — Norman P. Aquino and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza