South China Sea: China is said to have again hindered a Philippine boat

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Conflict in the South China Sea: Chinese boats repeatedly hinder Filipino boats in the region

Photo: AFP

There has been a further escalation between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. The Chinese Coast Guard said on Saturday that it had taken action against Philippine vessels. The Philippines accuses China of another blockade.

According to the Philippine military, a civilian boat was escorted by two Philippine Navy ships and two Philippine Coast Guard ships. A Philippine Coast Guard ship was “obstructed” and “encircled” by a Chinese Coast Guard ship and two Chinese maritime militia ships.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea for itself

The Philippines condemned the actions and use of water cannons as “irresponsible and provocative.” China's actions resulted in "significant damage" and injuries to the crew of a civilian boat that had been hired to supply troops, the Philippine South China Sea Task Force said in a statement.

Back in 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 used water cannons and rammed supply ships and a coast guard ship. One ship suffered severe engine damage. The Chinese Coast Guard said the Philippine vessel intentionally rammed their vessel.

The conflict involves the crew of a former warship that intentionally ran aground on a reef in the Spratly Islands in 1999 to protect Manila's maritime claims. Since then, Filipino soldiers have been living on board, receiving supplies from the motherland - which is often hindered by Chinese ships.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which more than $3 trillion in maritime trade passes annually. The neighboring states of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei also have claims in the region.

In the dispute between the Philippines and China, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague declared in 2016 that China's claims had no legal basis. However, after the decision, China's Foreign Ministry announced that it "does not recognize third-party arbitration with regard to territorial disputes and maritime delimitation issues."

spr/Reuters