عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Philippines, China Trade Blame after Vessels Collide in the South China Sea

FILE PHOTO: Chinese Coast Guard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 on its way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Adrian Portugal
FILE PHOTO: Chinese Coast Guard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 on its way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Adrian Portugal
TT
TT

Philippines, China Trade Blame after Vessels Collide in the South China Sea

FILE PHOTO: Chinese Coast Guard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 on its way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Adrian Portugal
FILE PHOTO: Chinese Coast Guard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 on its way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Adrian Portugal

The Philippines and China accused each other on Monday of ramming vessels and performing dangerous maneuvers in the South China Sea, the latest flare-up after the two nations had agreed to try to ease tensions and manage disagreements at sea.
China's Coast Guard said in a statement a Philippine vessel which had ignored its repeated warnings "deliberately collided" with a Chinese vessel in an "unprofessional and dangerous" manner in the disputed waterway early on Monday, Reuters reported.
The Philippines disputed Beijing's account and accused it of "imposing its version of facts." It said two of its coast guard vessels "encountered unlawful and aggressive maneuvers" from Chinese vessels near Sabina Shoal while on their way to supply Filipino personnel stationed in two occupied islands.
"These dangerous maneuvers resulted in collisions, causing structural damage to both PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) vessels," said Jonathan Malaya, a spokesperson for the national security council and Manila's South China Sea task force.
Manila said coast guard vessels Cape Engano and Bagacay were on their way to resupply personnel stationed in Flat Island which Manila calls Patag, and Lawak Island which China calls Nanshan, when the at-sea confrontation happened near Sabina Shoal.
A collision occurred between Cape Engano and a Chinese coast guard ship at around 3:24 a.m. on Monday (1924 GMT on Sunday), Manila said.
Around 16 minutes later, a Chinese coast guard ship rammed Manila's guard vessel Bagacay twice, damaging its auxiliary room, where a 3-foot (1 meter) -wide hole was inflicted, according to Philippine officials and images shared by the PCG.
"This is the biggest structural damage that we have incurred as a result of the dangerous maneuvers carried out by the Chinese Coast Guard," PCG Spokesperson Jay Tarriela said.
The Chinese Coast Guard posted a short video of the incident which showed what it said was a Philippine coast guard ship "deliberately ramming" with what it said was one of their vessels. Malaya said that video was misleading.
China's maritime security said the same Philippine vessel involved in the collision then entered waters near Second Thomas Shoal after being prevented from entering Sabina Shoal waters.
Sabina Shoal is in the Spratly Islands, which are claimed by China, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Two Philippine Coast Guard vessels "illegally intruded" into waters adjacent to Sabina Shoal without permission in the early hours on Monday, according to China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu.
"The Philippines has repeatedly provoked and caused trouble, violated the temporary arrangements between China and the Philippines," Gan said, referring to Philippines' supplies missions to a vessel grounded on Second Thomas Shoal.
China's Coast Guard said it took control measures against the Philippine ships in accordance with the law in the incidents early Monday, and warned the Philippines to "immediately stop infringement and provocation" or "bear all consequences".
The Philippine task force said both of its vessels will continue with their mission to supply personnel in Flat Island.
"The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea urges restraint and adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other relevant international laws to prevent further escalations and ensure the safety of all vessels operating in the region," it said.
The incident came less than two weeks after an air incident between the Chinese and Philippines militaries in Scarborough Shoal.
The Philippines is "disappointed" with the latest maritime encounter which came after it agreed to a provisional agreement with China in July over its resupply missions to Second Thomas Shoal, Malaya said.
China has been sharply criticized by Western nations for aggression in blocking Philippine efforts to resupply troops aboard a navy ship it intentionally grounded 25 years ago.
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, including both shoals, rejecting a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that Beijing's expansive claims had no basis under international law.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

US and South Korea Begin Military Drills Aimed at Strengthening Their Defense Against North Korea 

Stryker armored vehicles are on standby at a US base in Dongducheon, South Korea, 19 August 2024, as part of the Ulchi Freedom Shield, a 10-day South Korea-US joint annual military exercise that kicked off earlier in the day. (EPA/Yonhap) 
Stryker armored vehicles are on standby at a US base in Dongducheon, South Korea, 19 August 2024, as part of the Ulchi Freedom Shield, a 10-day South Korea-US joint annual military exercise that kicked off earlier in the day. (EPA/Yonhap) 
TT
TT

US and South Korea Begin Military Drills Aimed at Strengthening Their Defense Against North Korea 

Stryker armored vehicles are on standby at a US base in Dongducheon, South Korea, 19 August 2024, as part of the Ulchi Freedom Shield, a 10-day South Korea-US joint annual military exercise that kicked off earlier in the day. (EPA/Yonhap) 
Stryker armored vehicles are on standby at a US base in Dongducheon, South Korea, 19 August 2024, as part of the Ulchi Freedom Shield, a 10-day South Korea-US joint annual military exercise that kicked off earlier in the day. (EPA/Yonhap) 

US and South Korean troops kicked off a large-scale exercise Monday aimed at strengthening their combined defense capabilities against nuclear-armed North Korea, which again accused the allies of practicing an invasion.

The annual summertime exercise comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula as the pace of both North Korea’s weapons demonstrations and the US-South Korea combined military exercises have intensified in a cycle of tit-for-tat.

The exercise began hours after North Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement repeating the North's contention that such exercises are "provocative war drills for aggression." It said the North’s nuclear ambitions are thus justified, adding that it is crucial to "constantly maintain the balance of power for preventing a war by stockpiling the greatest deterrence."

The United States and South Korea described their joint drills as defensive in nature and have been expanding and upgrading their training in recent years to cope with the North’s evolving threats.

The US and South Korean militaries did not immediately react to the North Korean Foreign Ministry statement.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, which continue for 11 days, through Aug. 29, include both computer-simulated war games and more than 40 kinds of field exercises, including live-fire drills. The allies said this year’s program is focused on enhancing their readiness against various North Korean threats, including missiles, GPS jamming and cyberattacks and will also reflect lessons learned from recent armed conflicts.

About 19,000 South Korean military personnel will participate in the drills, which will be held concurrently with civil defense and evacuation drills from Monday through Thursday that will include programs based on North Korean nuclear attack scenarios.

The US military has not confirmed the number of American troops participating in the drills or said whether they will involve US strategic assets. The United States in recent months has increased its regional deployment of long-range bombers, submarines and aircraft carrier strike groups to train with South Korean and Japanese forces.

The drills could trigger a belligerent response from North Korea, which has been flaunting its growing weapons program and issuing verbal threats of nuclear conflicts against Washington and Seoul.

Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un staged a huge ceremony in the country’s capital, Pyongyang, to mark the delivery of 250 nuclear-capable missile launchers to frontline military units and called for a ceaseless expansion of his military’s nuclear program.

The event added to concerns about Kim’s weapons program as he demonstrates an intent to deploy battlefield nuclear weapons along the North’s border with South Korea and claims that his military could react with preemptive nuclear strikes if it perceives the leadership as under threat.

Analysts say Kim may seek to dial up pressure in a US election year as he advances his long-term goals of forcing Washington to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

During last year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, North Korea conducted ballistic missile tests that it described as simulating "scorched earth" nuclear strikes on South Korean targets.

The North in recent weeks has also flown thousands of balloons carrying trash toward the South in a psychological warfare campaign that has further deteriorated relations between the war-divided rivals.