Chinese coastguard takes aim again at Philippines over South China Sea shoal clashes

Philippine agency is misleading the international community over incidents at Sabina and Scarborough shoals, China Coast Guard says

Reading Time:2 minutes

The Chinese and Philippine coastguards are at odds over what happened during a confrontation in the South China Sea on Wednesday. Photo: Weibo/人民日报

Published: 8:32pm, 5 Dec 2024Updated: 11:56pm, 5 Dec 2024

The Chinese coastguard has again lashed out at its Philippine counterpart, accusing it misleading the international community over a confrontation in the South China Sea on Wednesday.

“Despite repeated dissuasion and warnings from China, the Philippines insisted on sending four coastguard ships, six official ships, and several unidentified ships to intrude into China’s Huangyan Island territorial waters and nearby waters such as Xianbin Reef in the Nansha Islands,” China Coast Guard spokesman Liu Dejun said on Thursday, using the Chinese terms for Scarborough Shoal, Sabina Shoal and the Spratly Islands.

“During this period, Philippine ships approached and deliberately collided with Chinese coastguard ships in the waters of Huangyan Island and Xianbin Reef many times, causing collisions, and the responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines.”

The Philippines also claims the maritime features, referring to them as Panatag and Escoda shoals.

The accusations were on top of a statement on Wednesday that accused four Philippine vessels of trying to “intrude” into Scarborough Shoal and of coming “dangerously close to the normal law enforcement and inspection vessels of China’s coastguard”.

The Chinese ships “took necessary control measures against Philippine ships” and their operations were “professional, standardised, legitimate and legal”, the Chinese maritime authority said.

The Philippine Coast Guard had accused Chinese coastguard vessels and two navy ships of “aggressive actions” against its ships, which it said were conducting a “routine maritime patrol” to support Filipino fishermen in the waters.