Reuters-China Philippines trade accusations over South China Sea clash
October 22, 2023 3 min 617 words
这篇报道再次突显了南中国海的紧张局势，中国与菲律宾在争议水域发生冲突并相互指责。中国方面声称其海警船合法拦截菲律宾供应船只，指责其携带“非法建设材料”，而菲律宾则强烈谴责中国的“危险封锁行动”，并称其违反了菲律宾主权和领土权。美国等多个国家和国际机构表示支持菲律宾，批评中国的行动。这一事件发生在一个世界二战时期的军舰被用作岗哨的地方，即争议的第二托马斯礁，该地点位于斯普拉特利群岛的一部分。 这些事件凸显了中国在南中国海的扩张行为，其对其他国家的主权和领土权提出了质疑。国际仲裁庭在2016年已明确表示中国对南中国海的主张没有法律依据。尽管如此，中国继续采取挑衅行动，引发紧张局势。菲律宾坚称将不会屈服于这些挑衅，坚决继续其供应任务，维护自身权益。 这一事件反映了南中国海争端的根本性问题，需要通过外交途径解决。国际社会应呼吁各方采取克制，遵循国际法，以维护地区和平与稳定。
China and the Philippines traded accusations over a collision in disputed waters of the South China Sea as Chinese vessels blocked Philippine boats supplying forces there on Sunday in the latest of a series of maritime confrontations.
The two countries have had numerous run-ins in the South China Sea in recent months, especially in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands.
The Philippines has sent supplies to troops stationed on a rusted World War Two-era transport ship used as an outpost on the shoal, prompting China's coastguard to repeatedly deploy vessels to block the resupply missions.
In the incident early on Sunday, China's coastguard said there had been a "slight collision" between one of its ships and the Philippine boat while the coastguard was "lawfully" blocking the boat from transporting "illegal construction materials" to the warship.
Manila responded by condemning "in the strongest degree" the "dangerous blocking manoeuvres" of the Chinese vessel.
China's "dangerous, irresponsible and illegal actions" were "in violation of Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction", Manila's Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said in a statement.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China's claims had no legal basis.
The United States expressed support for the Philippines, denouncing China's "disruption of a legal Philippine resupply mission".
"We stand with our #FriendsPartnersAllies in protecting Philippine sovereignty and in support of a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific," Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson posted on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.
The Canadian and Japanese embassies in Manila also expressed support for the Philippines and alarm over the collision. The European Union's ambassador, Luc Veron, said: "These incidents, their repetition and intensification are dangerous and very disturbing."
Manila's relations with Beijing have soured under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has strengthened military engagement with Washington since taking office last year. The Pentagon said in May it would protect the Philippines if its coastguard came under attack "anywhere in the South China Sea".
Last week, the Philippine military demanded China stop its "dangerous and offensive" actions after a Chinese navy ship shadowed and attempted to cut off a Philippine navy vessel conducting a resupply mission.
China had warned the Philippines against further "provocations", saying such acts violated its territorial sovereignty.
The Philippines "will not be deterred" and will continue its regular resupply missions "despite provocations", said its national security adviser, Eduardo Año.
Sunday's collision occurred during a routine resupply mission of a boat contracted by the Philippine armed forces, Manila said.
In another incident during the same resupply mission, it said a Philippine coastguard vessel's port side was bumped by a Chinese maritime militia vessel.
"The provocative, irresponsible, and illegal action" of the Chinese coastguard vessel "imperilled the safety of the crew" of the Philippine boat, the task force said.
China's coastguard said in a statement the Philippine vessel had ignored repeated warnings, crossed the bow of the Chinese ship and "deliberately provoked trouble", causing the collision.
"The Philippines behaviour seriously violates the international rules on avoiding collisions at sea and threatens the navigation safety of our vessels," the coastguard said.
Manila grounded the BRP Sierra Madre warship in 1999 as part of its sovereignty claim to the Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.