BEIJING: China said on Friday that a near-collision in the South China Sea between a Chinese coast guard ship and a Philippine patrol boat carrying journalists happened due to the latter’s “premeditated and provocative action”.
On Sunday, the incident near the Spratly Islands was the latest in a long series between the two countries in the contested waterway.
Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, ignoring an international ruling that the claim has no legal basis.
The latest incident occurred days before Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos was about to meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House to talk about growing regional tensions.
AFP was one of several media organizations invited to join 2 Philippine Coast Guard boats on a 6-day patrol of the waters, visiting 12 islands and reefs.
Latest
The latest incident happened after the Philippine boats approached Second Thomas Shoal, better known in China as Ren’ai Jiao, in the Spratly archipelago.
As one vessel, the BRP Malapascua, which was carrying Filipino reporters, neared the shoal, a Chinese Coast Guard ship more than twice its size moved towards its path.
AFP reporters watched the incident from the other Philippine coast guard vessel, which was less than a kilometer away.
The Malapascua’s commanding officer said the Chinese vessel came within 45 meters of his boat, and only his quick actions averted the steel-hulled ships from crashing into each other.
Beijing’s response
Over the question about the incident on Friday at a regular media briefing, the Chinese foreign ministry said the Philippine vessels had “intruded” without Beijing’s permission.
Spokeswoman Mao Ning said that the Chinese coast guard boat safeguarded maritime order and China’s territorial sovereignty in accordance with the law while taking timely steps to avoid the dangerous approach of Philippine boats and to avoid a collision.
She added that it was a provocative and premeditated action for the Philippine boat to barge into the waters of Ren’ai Jiao with reporters on board; the objective was to deliberately find errors and take the opportunity to hype up the incident.
Mao said the staff of the Chinese vessel had acted with restraint and professionally.
However, on Friday, Mao’s Philippine counterpart Teresita Daza blamed them for putting the Malapascua’s staff in “serious danger” and stressed that the Philippines would continue to do patrols in its “own waters”.
Daza said that routine patrols in their waters could neither be provocative nor premeditated.
