MANILA: The Philippines stated the China Coast Guard blocked a Filipino provide vessel and broken it with water cannon Saturday morning close to a reef off the Southeast Asian nation.
The Philippine army stated the almost hour-long assault occurred off Second Thomas Shoal within the contested South China Sea, the place Chinese language ships have unleashed water cannon and collided with Filipino vessels in comparable stand-offs in latest months.
The army launched video clips that confirmed a white ship repeatedly dousing one other vessel crusing alongside it with a water cannon. One clip confirmed two white ships concurrently firing water on the identical vessel.
One other clip confirmed a white ship marked “China Coast Guard” crossing the bow of a gray vessel it recognized because the Philippine provide boat Unaizah Could 4, which was broken in a China Coast Guard water cannon assault in the identical space on March 5 that left 4 crew members injured.
It stated the movies had been taken Saturday morning whereas the Unaizah Could 4 was on its strategy to Ayungin Shoal — the Filipino identify for the outcrop garrisoned by a small unit of Philippine troops that can also be claimed by Beijing.
“The UM4 provide boat sustained heavy damages at round 08:52 (am) because of the continued blasting of water cannons from the CCG vessels,” the army stated in an announcement, with out describing the character of the injury or whether or not there have been any casualties.
Regardless of the assault, the broken vessel and a coast guard escort ship that got here to its support later delivered its cargo in addition to six navy personnel to the Filipino outpost, the army stated in an replace.
The army additionally launched one other video clip which it stated was taken after the water cannon assault and confirmed a Chinese language vessel deploying “floating limitations to stop additional entry of any vessels within the shoal”.
The Philippine troopers stationed on the shoal dwell on a derelict navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, and require frequent resupplies for meals, water and different requirements in addition to transport for personnel rotations.
China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu stated in an announcement that the Philippine convoy “forcibly intruded into the realm regardless of the Chinese language facet’s repeated warnings and route controls”, including the Chinese language carried out “management, obstruction and eviction in accordance with legislation”.
“We sternly warn the Philippine facet: those that play with fireplace will convey disgrace on themselves. The Chinese language Coast Guard is prepared always to resolutely safeguard our nation’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and pursuits,” Gan added.
China claims nearly your entire South China Sea, disregarding rival claims from different nations together with the Philippines and a global ruling that its assertion has no authorized foundation.
– ‘Impeded and encircled’ –
The newest confrontation got here 4 days after visiting Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated the USA stood by its “ironclad” commitments to defend longtime ally Manila towards armed assault within the South China Sea.
Two days after Blinken’s go to to Manila, the China Coast Guard additionally tried to drive away Filipino scientists who landed on two cays close to Scarborough Shoal, one other contested South China Sea outcrop.
The Unaizah Could 4 was joined Saturday by an escort of two Filipino coast guard vessels and two Philippine Navy ships, a Philippine army assertion stated.
“This specific mission was arrange to make sure a full troop complement on board BRP Sierra Madre after one personnel needing critical medical consideration was lately evacuated,” it added.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, a Philippine coast guard spokesman for South China Sea points, stated in a separate assertion that its escort vessel, the BRP Cabra, was “impeded and encircled” by three Chinese language coast guard and different vessels early Saturday.
Because of this, Cabra was “remoted from the resupply boat because of the irresponsible and provocative behaviour of the Chinese language maritime forces”, he added.
The Philippine army stated the almost hour-long assault occurred off Second Thomas Shoal within the contested South China Sea, the place Chinese language ships have unleashed water cannon and collided with Filipino vessels in comparable stand-offs in latest months.
The army launched video clips that confirmed a white ship repeatedly dousing one other vessel crusing alongside it with a water cannon. One clip confirmed two white ships concurrently firing water on the identical vessel.
One other clip confirmed a white ship marked “China Coast Guard” crossing the bow of a gray vessel it recognized because the Philippine provide boat Unaizah Could 4, which was broken in a China Coast Guard water cannon assault in the identical space on March 5 that left 4 crew members injured.
It stated the movies had been taken Saturday morning whereas the Unaizah Could 4 was on its strategy to Ayungin Shoal — the Filipino identify for the outcrop garrisoned by a small unit of Philippine troops that can also be claimed by Beijing.
“The UM4 provide boat sustained heavy damages at round 08:52 (am) because of the continued blasting of water cannons from the CCG vessels,” the army stated in an announcement, with out describing the character of the injury or whether or not there have been any casualties.
Regardless of the assault, the broken vessel and a coast guard escort ship that got here to its support later delivered its cargo in addition to six navy personnel to the Filipino outpost, the army stated in an replace.
The army additionally launched one other video clip which it stated was taken after the water cannon assault and confirmed a Chinese language vessel deploying “floating limitations to stop additional entry of any vessels within the shoal”.
The Philippine troopers stationed on the shoal dwell on a derelict navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, and require frequent resupplies for meals, water and different requirements in addition to transport for personnel rotations.
China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu stated in an announcement that the Philippine convoy “forcibly intruded into the realm regardless of the Chinese language facet’s repeated warnings and route controls”, including the Chinese language carried out “management, obstruction and eviction in accordance with legislation”.
“We sternly warn the Philippine facet: those that play with fireplace will convey disgrace on themselves. The Chinese language Coast Guard is prepared always to resolutely safeguard our nation’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and pursuits,” Gan added.
China claims nearly your entire South China Sea, disregarding rival claims from different nations together with the Philippines and a global ruling that its assertion has no authorized foundation.
– ‘Impeded and encircled’ –
The newest confrontation got here 4 days after visiting Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated the USA stood by its “ironclad” commitments to defend longtime ally Manila towards armed assault within the South China Sea.
Two days after Blinken’s go to to Manila, the China Coast Guard additionally tried to drive away Filipino scientists who landed on two cays close to Scarborough Shoal, one other contested South China Sea outcrop.
The Unaizah Could 4 was joined Saturday by an escort of two Filipino coast guard vessels and two Philippine Navy ships, a Philippine army assertion stated.
“This specific mission was arrange to make sure a full troop complement on board BRP Sierra Madre after one personnel needing critical medical consideration was lately evacuated,” it added.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, a Philippine coast guard spokesman for South China Sea points, stated in a separate assertion that its escort vessel, the BRP Cabra, was “impeded and encircled” by three Chinese language coast guard and different vessels early Saturday.
Because of this, Cabra was “remoted from the resupply boat because of the irresponsible and provocative behaviour of the Chinese language maritime forces”, he added.
