South China Sea conflict: China warns Philippines against 'extremely dangerous' behaviour

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Philippine Coast Guard Employees in October 2023: Dispute over territorial claims

Photo: Staff / REUTERS

China has once again issued a stern warning to the Philippines against territorial claims in the South China Sea. The Philippines is relying on U.S. support to provoke China repeatedly, according to a commentary on Monday in People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party. This "extremely dangerous" behaviour is detrimental to peace and stability in the region.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi had already warned on Thursday that bilateral relations were at a crossroads. At the heart of the dispute are sovereign claims over part of the Spratly Islands, over 100 widely scattered reefs, atolls and small islands in the South China Sea.

In mid-December, the Philippines and China accused each other of ramming ships in the South China Sea. The Philippine Coast Guard reported that the Chinese Navy had used water cannons and rammed supply vessels as well as a Coast Guard vessel. One ship had suffered a serious engine failure. The Chinese Coast Guard said the Philippine vessel intentionally rammed their vessel.

In the dispute over sea territory, both sides accuse each other of aggression

The conflict involves the crew of a former warship that deliberately ran aground in a reef in the Spratly Islands in 1999 to protect Manila's maritime claims. Since then, Filipino soldiers have been living on board, supplied from the mother country – which is often hampered by Chinese ships, as in this case. China fired water cannons at a civilian fishing vessel operated by the government, the Philippines reported, calling these "illegal and aggressive acts."

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which more than $3 trillion in trade is handled annually by ship. The neighbouring countries of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei also assert rights that have been internationally confirmed: The Permanent Court of Arbitration declared in 2016 that China's claims have no legal basis.

aka/Reuters