China Faces Global Backlash Over Latest Vessel Collision With Philippines in South China Sea

The moment of a collision between coast guard vessels from China and the Philippines in the South China Sea on Aug. 25, 2024. National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea via Reuters/Screenshot via The Epoch Times

China’s communist regime is drawing international criticism following an incident near a disputed South China Sea shoal that resulted in damage to a Philippine fisheries vessel.

The latest incident occurred on Aug. 25, when the Philippine vessel, operated by Manila’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, was on a resupply mission from Hasa-Hasa Shoal to Escoda Shoal. According to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine vessel prematurely ended its mission because of engine failure after being rammed and shot with water cannons by Chinese Coast Guard ships.

The European Union’s ambassador to the Philippines, Luc Veron, called the Chinese regime’s naval maneuvers “dangerous” and “disturbing,” according to an Aug. 25 post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The EU trusts that respect for international law including UNCLOS [U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea] is essential in the South China Sea as anywhere else,” Veron wrote.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected Beijing’s “nine-dash line” claim to about 85 percent of the South China Sea’s 2.2 million square miles. The ruling stated that Beijing’s territorial claims were inconsistent with UNCLOS.

Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, and the UK have also voiced concerns.

“Australia shares the Philippines’ concerns about further dangerous and aggressive actions by China in the sea and air, including ramming and water cannoning vessels near Sabina Shoal,” Australia’s ambassador to the Philippines, Hae Kyong Yu, wrote in an X post. “Disputes must be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law.”

Sabina Shoal, also referred to as the Escoda Shoal by the Philippines and as Xianbin Reef by China, is part of the South China Sea, which the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea.

Japan’s ambassador to the Philippines, Endo Kazuya, said in a post on X that the latest incident was an “unacceptable development.”

“Any harassment & actions which increase tensions or obstruct freedom of navigation are not tolerated. Upholding a rules-based [international] order and adhering to commitments must prevail,” Kazuya wrote.

The latest incident is the second vessel collision between the two sides near the Sabina Shoal.

Beijing also drew international condemnation following the previous incident on Aug. 19.

The Philippines

On Aug. 26, Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro told reporters that the Chinese regime’s actions were “patently illegal” following the collision near Sabina Shoal on Aug. 25.

“We have to expect these kinds of behavior from China because this is a struggle. We have to be ready to anticipate and to get used to these kinds of acts of China, which are patently illegal, as we have repeatedly said,” he said.

When asked whether the latest collision would trigger treaty obligations between Washington and Manila, Teodoro replied: “That is putting the cart before the horse. Let us deter an armed attack—that is the more important thing.”

The United States and the Philippines have a mutual defense treaty. In 2022, President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to the defense of the Philippines in a meeting with Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in New York City.

Philippine House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez also issued a statement on Aug. 26 criticizing China.

“We condemn in the strongest terms this newest reckless and dangerous maneuvers [sic] by the China Coast Guard on our vessels,” he said.

Romualdez said the area where the incident occurred “is clearly within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, to which China and the Philippines are signatories.”

On Aug. 24, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea stated that the Chinese military had fired flares at Philippine aircraft in two separate incidents on Aug. 19 and Aug. 22.

Manila’s National Maritime Council said China’s aerial and naval maneuvers in the past week were “alarming,” according to a statement released on Aug. 26.

“[It] calls into question China’s supposed commitment to de-escalate the situation in the area and create a conducive environment for dialogue and consultation,” the council stated.

The council stated that Manila will continue to pursue “the proper diplomatic approaches to resolve ongoing maritime issues” and urged Bejing “to return to the path of constructive dialogue” on South China Sea matters.

Reuters contributed to this report.