Philippine Government Urged to Recall Its Envoy in Show of Protest Against China

A China Coast Guard ship and a suspected Chinese militia ship block the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Cabra as it approaches Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, during a resupply mission at the disputed South China Sea on Nov. 10, 2023. Joeal Calupitan/AP Photo

Local lawmakers are urging the Philippine government to recall its ambassador to Beijing as a strong condemnation of China’s “repeated harassment” of Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea.

This comes after a China Coast Guard ship reportedly blasted a water cannon toward a Philippine motorboat delivering supplies to troops stationed at Ayungin Shoal, also known as the Second Thomas Shoal, on Nov. 10.

Philippine Sen. Francis Tolentino said in a local radio interview on Nov. 12 that the government should recall its envoy without severing diplomatic relations with communist China or closing the Philippine Embassy in Beijing.

“We have not done this, but the executive branch, the president, and the Department of Foreign Affairs can make such a decision,” Mr. Tolentino said, according to a translation by The Manila Times.

“This is to show the seriousness of China’s violation of international law, which affected our rights in the West Philippine Sea.”

The West Philippine Sea is the area known as the South China Sea internationally.

Philippine Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada echoed his call, saying that the Philippines is in a position to pursue diplomatic modes that it deems appropriate in response to China’s “recurring acts of aggression against our countrymen.”

“The repeated harassment and bullying of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea demand our immediate attention and resolute response,” Mr. Estrada said in a statement on Nov. 13.

A Philippine government task force said it condemns China’s latest “unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvers” in the South China Sea.

A Chinese militia vessel (top) and Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Cabra as they approach Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin Shoal, at the disputed South China Sea on Oct. 22, 2023. Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP

Criticism of Chinese Actions

The Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement that the actions of the China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels “do not align with the universally accepted behavior of a coast guard.”

“The dangerous maneuvering of the CCG vessels are illegal and irresponsible actions that puts into question and significant doubt their narrative of law enforcement and their real identity as a coast guard organization,” it stated.

The United States has affirmed that it “stands shoulder-to-shoulder” with its Philippine ally in the face of China’s repeated harassment in the South China Sea and reiterated that any attack on a Philippine vessel could trigger a mutual defense treaty.

The incident came just weeks after China’s ships separately blocked and then hit a Philippine Coast Guard vessel and a supply boat near the Second Thomas Shoal on Oct. 22, prompting Manila to summon the Chinese envoy in response.

Philippine Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Teresita Daza has said that Manila would use all available diplomatic means with China, including issuing a formal protest, to address maritime issues with China.

Beijing has asserted territorial claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, including reefs and islands that overlap with the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

The 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which China is a signatory, designates maritime areas within 200 nautical miles of coastal nations’ borders as part of their EEZ, and the Second Thomas Shoal is about 105 nautical miles from the Philippines’ Palawan Province.

The Philippines’ position was recognized by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in a 2016 ruling. However, the Hague Tribunal’s ruling didn’t change the Chinese Communist Party’s behavior, with Chinese vessels repeatedly intruding on the Philippines’ maritime zones.