China again asked the Philippines to tow away a grounded warship - a World War Two-era vessel now used as a military outpost - from a disputed shoal on Tuesday, after Manila rejected Beijing's earlier demand.
Tensions have soared between the two neighbors over the South China Sea under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back to the United States, which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China.
China's embassy in Manila criticised Washington for "gathering" its allies to continue "hyping up" the South China Sea issue and the boat incident.
"South China Sea is not a 'safari park' for countries outside the region to make mischief and sow discord," the embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, is home to a handful of troops living aboard the former warship Sierra Madre. Manila deliberately grounded the vessel in 1999 to reinforce its sovereignty claims.
Manila has repeatedly accused the Chinese coastguard of blocking resupply missions to its troops there, as it did on Aug. 5 when it sprayed a Philippine vessel with a water cannon.
China maintains the Philippines' occupation of the shoal is illegal.
The Philippine military described the Chinese coastguard's actions on Saturday as "excessive and offensive". China said the incident was a "warning" and that it has exercised "rational restraint" at all times.
China's defense ministry on Tuesday urged Manila to stop all "provocative" actions, and vowed to continue taking necessary measures to safeguard sovereignty and maritime rights.
Security experts say China's actions around the atoll point to one thing - Beijing wants to take control of Second Thomas Shoal, also known in China as Renai Reef, and Ayungin in Manila.
"We must reestablish sea control around the shoal because if we don't control it, our resupply is vulnerable to their coercive tactics," said Rommel Ong, a maritime security expert and retired vice commander of the Philippine Navy.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines.
Both Ong and Collin Koh, a security fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, believe China would think twice about using outright force to occupy the shoal lest it triggers a 1951 U.S.-Philippines mutual defense treaty.
"There's probably no question about whether China has the means to up the ante here, but more about its willingness over those political risks," said Koh.
Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general of the Philippines National Security Council, urged China "not to escalate matters" and put lives at risk.
Japan and France, through their embassies in Manila, have expressed concern over China's recent actions and repeated their support for a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated Beijing's expansive South China Sea claims.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Philippines Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Tuesday to discuss the alliance between the two countries, the Pentagon said.
© Thomson Reuters 2023.
13 Comments
sakurasuki
This map really shows how distorted China's claim over disputed water. It even go south to Malaysia.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33518673
TaiwanIsNotChina
China's ships need to be move out of the way if they are obstructing the Philippines from their EEZ. If that starts WW3, then so be it.
Moonraker
Time for the bully to be ganged up on. The bully itself has no friends, only people it pays or strong-arms.
Paul
China same as RuZZia think they can take any territory they want! That thinking needs to be put a stop to!
Sh1mon M4sada
...and just how do you know China's friends are actually 'friends', China says Japan is a friend, but what does it do instead?
Countries like the Phillipines, unfortunately have to get its governance in order, or cede its sovereignty to a more powerful country, else China will strangle them slowly. To think Duterte was able to become president with massive electoral support, or the son of a crook who stole billions from the people is now president, shows either people are very naive or the system is kaput.
GBR48
Maybe the Philippines could get a bigger water pistol than the Chinese.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Who are you to call a developing country pathetic? I guess this means we can officially remove China from any sort of developing country benefits as they are all ready to look down on others.
When you are dealing with a 1.4 billion pound gorilla, gangs are justice.
Could it be that countries around the world have done anything to suck at the teat of cheap labor?
Yeah, they have North Korea... and I guess bigger North Korea.
TaiwanIsNotChina
No country should have to outspend China to have some security. Hopefully the US is planning something big for them, though.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Hopefully once a few China Coast Guard boats have some new below water portholes the Phillipines will have some newer ships on those shoals they can base their troops on.
Legrande
TaiwanIsNotChinaToday
China's ships need to be move out of the way if they are obstructing the Philippines from their EEZ. If that starts WW3, then so be it.
So you'd be willing to escalate to WWIII over this, would you? Do you even have an inkling what that would mean for millions of people around the globe? LOL
Thank God you'll never make it to the Oval Office.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Yes I do. Why would we live in a world in which China can bully anyone? And this is clear bullying.