Chinese Coast Guard Injures Filipino Sailor in Second Thomas Shoal Skirmish

Escalation at Second Thomas Shoal

The encounter occurred when a Chinese Coast Guard rigid hull inflatable boat, carrying eight personnel, maneuvered toward the BRP Sierra Madre. The BRP Sierra Madre is a long-marooned and rusting navy ship that serves as a fragile territorial outpost manned by Filipino navy personnel. According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Chinese vessel approached to within close range of the grounded warship and maneuvered around while its occupants took pictures and video.

Filipino sailors aboard two rubber boats moved to drive the Chinese vessel away. The Philippine military stated that the sailors asked the Chinese to back away in a non-confrontational manner. However, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said the Chinese Coast Guard vessel personnel reacted violently and aggressively by striking a Philippine Navy personnel on the head with a wooden baton, causing injury and damaging the navy rubber boat. The extent of the Filipino sailor’s injury was being assessed to determine if he needed to be medically evacuated.

The AFP released a 25-second video clip showing the encounter. In the video, one of the eight Chinese personnel could be seen hitting a navy crew member in a rubber boat that was close to the Chinese vessel. Philippine officials praised the Filipino navy personnel, stating they did not do anything that could have caused an escalation.

Conflicting Accounts and Diplomatic Rebuttal

Beijing has offered a sharply different account of the day’s events. The China Coast Guard responded by claiming that two rubber boats belonging to an “illegally” stationed Filipino vessel had rammed the Chinese patrol boat in a dangerous manner. In a statement on social media, the China Coast Guard said, During the incident, Philippine personnel maliciously attacked Chinese law enforcement personnel using oars and long sticks.

The Philippine military described the event as part of a clear pattern of provocative and hostile behavior by China. No act of coercion or aggression will deter us from carrying out our constitutional mandate or exercising the Philippines’ lawful rights in the West Philippine Sea, the military said. Manila’s foreign ministry stated the act of violence against its navy personnel was “unacceptable” and warrants diplomatic action.

Regional Security Stakes

The row is the latest in a series of altercations between Chinese and Philippine personnel in disputed waters in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety. The Philippine military called on the People’s Liberation Army and the China Coast Guard, including their maritime militia, to put a stop to their illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions within the West Philippine Sea and adhere to the 2016 Arbitral Award that affirms the Philippines’ lawful maritime rights under international law.

The incident occurred while Southeast Asian ministers are gathering in Manila for high-level meetings. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in attendance for the meetings, where tensions in the South China Sea are expected to be discussed.

Sources: apnews.com, abcnews.com.