This videograb by the Armed Forces of the Philippines shows a collision between a Chinese Coast Guard ship (L) and Philippines' resupply boat (R) near the Second Thomas Shoal, in the disputed South China Sea
The Philippine Coast Guard recorded two collisions off of Second Thomas Shoal Sunday, accusing Chinese Coast Guard vessels of impeding its resupply mission in a "coordinated" manner. AFP

KEY POINTS

  • The PCG said the Chinese vessel's actions were 'coordinated maneuvers' to block its resupply missions
  • Beijing said the incidents were merely a 'slight collision'
  • Manila's allies have rallied to call for rules-based international order

Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has ordered an investigation into the incident that "imperiled" the safety of the country's crew after a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel collided with a Philippine resupply boat off of the disputed Second Thomas Shoal on Sunday.

Marcos Jr. tasked the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to investigate the "dangerous, illegal, and reckless maneuvers by vessels of the China Coast Guard," the PCG said in a statement posted on Facebook on Monday, following two collisions Sunday at the disputed atoll that Manila calls Ayungin Shoal.

Footage posted on X by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) showed a CCG ship's bow briefly touching the stern of a much smaller Philippine resupply vessel (Unaiza May 2) in the first collision.

The PCG said that in the second collision, its MRRV 4409 vessel was "struck by Chinese Maritime Militia vessel 00003 that was actively engaged in coordinated maneuvers to harass, impede, and obstruct the Philippine vessels" on their way to resupply Filipino marines stationed at the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Second Thomas Shoal.

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The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTFWPS) said it "condemns in the strongest degree" the CCG's latest actions in the disputed waters as it violated Philippine sovereignty and engaged in acts that displayed "utter blatant disregard" of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Following the incidents, China's foreign ministry said there was a "slight collision" that took place after the Philippine boat allegedly ignored multiple warnings and "deliberately passed through law enforcement in an unprofessional and dangerous manner."

Two civilian ships and two PCG vessels "intruded the waters of Ren'ai Jiao (Second Thomas Shoal) in "China's Nansha Qundao (Spratly Islands) Sunday "without China's permission," the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson added that the said Philippine vessels "bumped dangerously with the CCG ships" that were conducting patrols in the area. Beijing then renewed calls for Manila to keep its supposed promise of towing away the dilapidated BRP Sierra Madre.

Philippine's allies have commented on the matter, condemning the incidents and calling for respect for international laws.

German ambassador to the Philippines Andreas Pfaffernoschke wrote on X that Germany was "very concerned" about "recent confrontations" within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The European nation called on both parties to act based on the UNCLOS and "to respect the 2016 arbitral award" which ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines.

Japanese ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko also said Japan was "seriously concerned and alarmed" by the incident. "We stand with/by PH's position," he added.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday that it has summoned the Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) as part of its efforts to protest the incidents. It also thanked the international community for "steadfast support" of rules-based international order.

Beijing claims virtually the entire South China Sea and emphasized its claims further in an upgraded map that now features a 10-dash line. Tensions with the Philippines have been escalating in recent weeks amid multiple incidents near Second Thomas Shoal, the Scarborough Shoal, and civilian-occupied Thitu Island.

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