Philippines, China Exchange Blame for Collision in South China Sea
China and the Philippines have blamed each other after their coast guard vessels collided in the South China Sea early on Monday near the Sabina Shoal, the first time in decades they have clashed over the disputed atoll in the Spratly Islands....
Facts
- China and the Philippines have blamed each other after their coast guard vessels collided in the South China Sea early on Monday near the Sabina Shoal, the first time in decades they have clashed over the disputed atoll in the Spratly Islands.[1][2]
- According to Beijing, Philippine coast guard ships MRRV-4410 and MMRV-4411 illegally intruded into its waters despite repeated warnings. The first vehicle also collided with the Chinese Coast Guard Vessel 21551, allegedly intentionally.[3]
- In contrast, Manila said that two of its coast guard ships on their way to resupply personnel stationed in two islands nearby encountered Chinese vessels conducting 'unlawful and aggressive maneuvers' near the Sabina Shoal.[4][1]
- The Sabina Shoal — known in China as Xianbin Reef and in the Philippines as Escoda Shoal — is located in an area of overlapping sovereignty claims between both countries.[5][6]
- Last month, they announced a 'provisional agreement' over the nearby Second Thomas Shoal to try to ease tensions following disagreement, as the Philippines is conducting resupply missions to sailors living there.[7][8]
- The incident has also heightened US-China tensions, with Beijing stressing that America has 'no right to intervene' in South China Sea issues after the US ambassador to the Philippines claimed China had conducted 'aggressive, dangerous maneuvers.'[9][10]
Sources: [1]FOX News, [2]Washington Post, [3]Global Times, [4]Reuters, [5]Newsweek, [6]Guardian, [7]Independent, [8]Al Jazeera, [9]Voice of America and [10]XINHUA.
Narratives
- Anti-China narrative, as provided by Philippine News Agency. China must stop engaging in illegal and reckless behavior in the West Philippine Sea, which is within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, as Beijing has no legal claims in these waters. Chinese ships have clearly violated international norms in this latest incident, so the Philippines is preparing a diplomatic protest and a legal action against China.
- Pro-China narrative, as provided by Chinamil. China took legitimate, professional, and restrained restrictive measures against Philippine coast guard ships that violated Chinese territorial sovereignty. With the help of foreign countries, the Philippines appears to be exploiting China's tolerance and goodwill, to escalate the South China Sea conflict. If Manila keeps underestimating China's ability to protect its territory and maritime rights, Beijing will fight back with powerful countermeasures.
