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News18
2 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
China gets recklessly violent in the South China Sea
Hong Kong, August 19 (ANI): Two Chinese warships collided in the South China Sea on 11 August, as the country worryingly ramps up pressure on and bullying of the Philippines. The incident occurred within 10 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, which lies within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but which China illegally seized in 2012. The embarrassing incident saw the Type 056 corvette '3104' from the China Coast Guard (CCG) ram bow-first into the side of the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) Type 052D destroyer Guilin ('164'). The collision completely stove in the bow of the CCG corvette, and several Chinese coastguardsmen had been standing on the bow of the vessel just before the accident. Considering that another Chinese vessel conducted a grid search in the area immediately after the collision, it can be assumed that at least one, and possibly several, Chinese sailors were lost. The PCG boat offered to render help, but it was rebuffed by China. At the time, the two Chinese vessels were chasing and harassing BRP Suluan ('4406'), a much smaller 321-tonne vessel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Suluan had been manoeuvring away from the chasing CCG vessel to avoid its deployed water cannon. The Philippine vessel had been responding to messages for help from Philippine fishermen, as China performed hazardous manoeuvres and harassed them as part of its blockade of the illegally occupied Scarborough Shoal. Importantly, the whole incident was caught by the PCG on video from start to finish, so China cannot deny the facts of the accident. Nonetheless, this did not prevent Beijing and its state-controlled media apparatus from suppressing the news of the self-inflicted collision from its own domestic readership. It used carefully edited video clips or photos to portray events inaccurately. As for international audiences, China's propaganda machine went into overdrive to push its own false narrative. As just one example, the Chinese Global Times tabloid gathered a coterie of 'experts" to present a united story. One of these so-called Chinese experts claimed, 'The Philippines is clearly the provocateur, yet it has carefully planned and prepared various video materials each time, attempting to portray itself as a victim in the international arena to garner sympathy." In other words, he was claiming that the Philippines had set up its cameras and 'orchestrated" the whole accident and 'force" the Chinese ships to collide! In yet another moronic claim, the article blamed the small Philippine vessel for dicing with death by taking on China. Far more accurately, the Philippine Department of National Defence described the incident as 'atrocious and inane behaviour" on China's part. The Philippine position was soon backed up by official statements from the likes of Australia, Japan and the USA, all accusing China of reckless and dangerous behaviour at sea. This deadly incident brings into sharp relief a number of important points. Ray Powell, Director of SeaLight and Project Lead for Project Myoushu at Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, discerned eight critical points that need highlighting. Firstly, Powell said, this was a 'major escalation by China in an ongoing and increasingly high-stakes gray zone war over the South China Sea". Previously, China has relied upon CCG 'law enforcement" vessels and maritime militia – sailors moonlighting as fishermen but actually contracted to serve government purposes – to stake its claims. The fact that a PLAN vessel was fully engaged in harassing the PCG vessel, therefore, represents a very serious escalation. Secondly, Powell views this as 'the culmination of China's 13-year takeover of Scarborough Shoal". In mid-2024, China began enforcing a 25-30nm exclusion zone around Scarborough Shoal, even though it lies within the Philippine EEZ. Thirdly, this was 'a bellicose message that Beijing is no longer tolerating Philippine vessels approaching the shoal at all". Philippine fishermen have used this shoal for innumerable generations, plus the Permanent Court of Arbitration confirmed in its 2016 ruling that China has no territorial claims there. Indeed, that case saw the court of state that China, 'through the operation of its official vessels at Scarborough Shoal from May 2012 onwards, unlawfully prevented Filipino fishermen from engaging in traditional fishing" there. In an official statement, Grand Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesman for the PCG, fingered the real culprit. 'The Philippine Coast Guard's maritime patrols, including the BRP Suluan's mission to support local fishermen, are fully in line with international law and occur within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. In contrast, China's aggressive presence in this area is illegal, as ruled by the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration award, which invalidated Beijing's expansive claims and affirmed the Philippines' rights in its EEZ. China's continued disregard for this binding ruling only underscores its violation of UNCLOS." This latter acronym is a reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; Beijing is a signatory, but it paradoxically breaks its rules. Next up, Powell believes this collision reflected 'Beijing's growing maritime militancy. The behaviour of China's destroyer in particular illustrates this fact." The destroyer's captain, perhaps at the urging of the political commissar aboard, felt obliged to intervene in a supposedly law enforcement matter. Even after the collision, the destroyer continued pursuing the 44m-long Philippine patrol boat, instead of rendering aid to its compatriots. In fact, the less manoeuvrable Chinese destroyer was not far from slicing through the Philippine vessel either, as it attempted to close a pincer. Such violent disregard for safety at sea indicates a hardening stance from China, as Beijing becomes more abusive in its attempts to steal territory from the Philippines. The fifth point that Powell made was how this was 'a reminder that the Philippine Coast Guard routinely faces extreme peril with impressive courage and professionalism". Overmatched in vessel numbers and size, and facing such violent behaviour, the PCG is not cowed. Powell even declared the PCG 'may be the bravest coast guard on the planet today!" Continuing on, the Director of SeaLight said this incident 'is a testament to the plight of the Philippines and the disintegration of the rules-based order that kept the world relatively peaceful for the past 80 years". Just as has occurred in the Crimea and Ukraine, China is a hostile, imperial power attempting to steal territory from a smaller and weaker nation. The seventh point noted by Powell is the absolute absurdity of China's state propaganda. The country roundly blamed the Philippines for the accident and even demanded compensation for the ineptitude of the Chinese captains. Poking holes in this Chinese narrative, Collin Koh, Senior Fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noted: 'The video only lays bare PRC's aggressive behaviour in a foreign country's exclusive economic zone. And that aggressive behaviour was the cause of the fratricidal collision between the PLA Navy and CCG ships. You only have yourself to blame…" Tarriela said it was 'absurd for China to claim the Philippines is provoking collisions when common sense – and the sheer size disparity – makes that impossible". Was a 44.5m-long Philippine vessel provoking a Chinese 90m corvette and a 157m destroyer? China's claims are laughable. 'Video evidence shows the Chinese ships chasing the smaller Philippine vessel at high speeds, leading to their own mishap – not any 'reckless manoeuvres' from the Philippines," Tarriela pointed out. Finally, Powell said, 'This is a sobering reminder that China's belligerence is bringing us perilously close to the brink. It's really not hard to imagine how this could have gone quite a different direction. Had the destroyer struck the much smaller Philippine ship instead of its own, how many Filipinos would have died? And if your coast guard ship is rammed by a destroyer while approaching a maritime feature that has essentially been stolen from you, does that constitute an 'armed attack'?" Indeed, would such an incident invoke the application of the Philippine-US Mutual Defence Treaty? Incidentally, in a show of force, the US destroyer USS Higgins was in the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal on 13 August. Tarriela also highlighted how Filipino fishermen have been adversely affected by Chinese blockades and harassment in their traditional fishing grounds. The Philippine government must therefore support them with supplies. 'These are not scripted actors but real people whose livelihoods depend on these waters, unlike China's well-documented use of maritime militia – disguised as civilian fishing fleets – to assert control and intimidate others in the region. Manila's mission was humanitarian, not provocative, and even offered medical aid to the Chinese crew after their self-inflicted collision, which was ignored." Furthermore, Tarriela raised another point that Powell did not have on his list – the reckless seamanship shown by China. 'China must admit to the world that the collision between its own PLAN destroyer and CCG cutter was entirely the result of unprofessional, reckless behaviour on their part, including high-speed pursuits, dangerous blocking attempts and blatant violations of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG). Experts have pointed to poor coordination between Chinese forces as a key factor, with the destroyer slamming into its own coast guard ship while trying to intimidate the BRP Suluan. This incident highlights Beijing's disregard for maritime safety and escalatory tactics, not any Philippine malice." The at-sea collision is very embarrassing for China. Indeed, it calls into question the seamanship of Chinese forces. Not only that, but it demonstrates that the CCG is not there at all to maintain safety at sea, but rather to threaten others dangerously and to enforce illegal Chinese territorial claims. Following the humiliating crash, CCG spokesperson Gan Yu said the coast guard had taken necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring and blocking, to expel Philippine vessels. Without a trace of irony, Gan claimed China's operations were 'professional, standardised and legitimate". One shudders to think of the consequences if Chinese law enforcement considers such reckless seamanship as 'professional". Unfortunately, this was the most serious incident in the South China Sea since 17 June 2024, when a Philippine sailor suffered severe injury after Chinese forces blocked a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines maintains a garrison aboard the beached ship BRP Sierra Madre. Unfortunately, this latest serious incident near Scarborough Shoal portends growing risk in the South China Sea. What is more, after the loss of face engendered by its reckless seamanship and bullying, China can be expected to further up the ante. After handing the Philippines a moral victory, it will now want to sternly signal a position of strength to Manila. This creates a dilemma, however, because next time it may be a Chinese ship colliding with a Philippine one and causing loss of life. The Philippines and the USA must be ready for such a scenario. (ANI)
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Increased China presence in WPS bid to cover up ‘embarrassing' mishap —NMC
The increased Chinese presence around Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal could be an attempt to protect their image after the recent collision between ships of the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy), the National Maritime Council said Sunday. The Philippine Navy confirmed that as of August 14, China has deployed seven CCG vessels and 13 Chinese maritime militia vessels in the area, compared with the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) lone vessel the BRP Teresa Magbanua. 'Siguro ito yung isa nilang pamamaraan para baligtarin 'yung nangyari, kasi very embarrassing 'yun sa kanila and they want again to project na they're in control para matabunan 'yung issue,' NMC spokesperson Undersecretary Alexander Lopez said in a report on GMA's '24 Oras Weekend' on Sunday. (Maybe this is one of their ways to twist what happened because that was very embarrassing for them, and they want to project again that they're in control to cover up the issue.) This comes as the CCG vessel 3104 and PLA Navy ship 164 collided approximately 10.5 nautical miles east of Bajo de Masinloc on August 11, after chasing the Philippines' BRP Suluan at high speed. China has yet to confirm if there have been any fatalities from the collision. PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said China may have also deployed anti-drone technology in the area, as Philippine officials have failed to launch drones in the area. 'We were not able to launch our drones. It's because, we are suspecting, that the Chinese have jammed the signal,' he said in the same report. 'We always fly our drone especially if we are subjected to dangerous maneuvers, because we have to document it and then submit it to the National Task Force and then at the same time, of course, release it to the public,' he added. The Philippines has maintained that the Bajo de Masinloc is part of its territory, as ruled by an international tribunal in 2016, which also invalidated Beijing's massive South China Sea claims. China has refused to acknowledge such ruling, and its government in 2022 claimed that it will continue to adhere to what it described as a 'friendly consultation' with the Philippines after several Chinese vessels have been found 'swarming' areas in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines has already filed dozens of diplomatic protests against China regarding the territorial dispute under the administration of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
PCG slams China's claim of PH 'dangerous maneuvers' in Bajo de Masinloc
China Coast Guard vessel 3104, which was chasing the BRP Suluan of the Philippine Coast Guard near Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea, collides with People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) ship 164 of China on Monday, August 11, 2025. Courtesy: PCG video screen shot The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday lashed back at China for claiming that it was the Philippine side which made "dangerous maneuvers" near Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc, an incident which Manila said resulted in a collision between two Chinese ships. At a news forum in Quezon City, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said, "It is not the PCG or the Philippine government that escalates the tension in the WPS (West Philippine Sea)." "The reason why tension is rising is because of their dangerous actions and illegal presence within our own EEZ (exclusive economic zone). If there is one country that escalates the tension in the entire SCS (South China Sea), not just in the WPS, that is the People's Republic of China because they are deploying their CCG (Chinese Coast Guard) vessels and even PLA (People's Liberation) Navy warships and this is the source of the tension," Tarriela said. "For the PCG, we are not doing anything that provokes any country in the region. Well, first of all, we are not encroaching in our own waters. We do not recognize the illegal claim of the PRC (People's Republic of China). I say it is illegal because this was already resolved by the 2016 Arbitral Award," he added. The Coast Guard spokesperson made the remark after Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson Jian Bin alleged that on August 11, Philippine ships "illegally intruded into the territorial waters of China's Huangyan Dao." "The China Coast Guard vessels took measures in accordance with law to track, monitor, block and dispel these Philippine vessels," said Jian. "During the incident, a PCG vessel made dangerous maneuvers such as high-speed changing and sharp turns to cross the bow of Chinese vessels, which created a complex and close quarters situation at sea," the Chinese official said. Jian, however, did not mention the collision between CCG and PLA Navy vessels in his statement. Last Monday, Tarriela said a collision took place between a CCG vessel and PLA Navy ship off Bajo de Masinloc after the CCG 3104 vessel, which was chasing BRP Suluan at high speed, performed a risky maneuver which led to its impact with PLA Navy warship 164. Following the incident, BRP Suluan's flagpole was bent after it was hit by the PLA Navy ship. The PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) were on a mission to distribute aid to local fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) as part of the Kadiwa program. Despite the incident, the PCG had said it immediately offered support, including assistance with man-overboard recovery and medical aid for any injured CCG crew members. Jiang, however, said that the PCG's maneuvers "severely violated China's sovereignty, rights and interests, seriously endangered the safety of the Chinese personnel, and seriously undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea." "We urge the Philippine side to stop its infringements and provocations immediately. The Chinese side reserves the right to take necessary countermeasures to resolutely safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests of the country," the Chinese official said. Unfortunate, but... Following the incident, the Philippine government said it bears no responsibility for the collision between CCG and PLA Navy ships near the contested shoal. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the collision was an "unfortunate outcome, but not one caused by our actions." Further, the Philippines, through the DFA, reiterated its demand to China "for compensation for the damage caused to vessels and equipment last June 17 2024, as well as the return of its firearms and equipment, and the personal effects of its personnel that were illegally seized on that date." Tarriela, likewise, said the Philippine side will not pay any damages to the Chinese side since it was their vessels that collided. "It's actually their recklessness and their dangerous maneuvers that resulted in the collision, but kidding aside, we are not going to pay any accountability for it, for such an incident. It's their own doing, it is their illegal actions that resulted in such a collision," the PCG official said. Grounded PH drones Meanwhile, Tarriela said the PCG was unable to fly its drone on the day of its mission with BFAR in Bajo de Masinloc. "It's because we believe that the Chinese were blocking our drones from taking off… This is the first time that I will be disclosing to the public that we were not able to launch our drones. It's because we are suspecting that the Chinese have jammed the signal for us to bring our drones out to take videos and photos," he said. "Well obviously the intent of the PRC in jamming the signal of our drones is because they know our intention was to get photos and videos, and they also know this information will also be released to the public," he added. GMA News Online has requested comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila regarding Tarriela's statement about the drones, but it has yet to respond as of posting time. Tarriela said the Philippine side has not yet received official reports or official information from the Chinese side regarding any death or injury caused by the collision. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Its territorial claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. Beijing's heavily contested territorial claims in the SCS have led to multiple maritime incidents involving the Philippines over the years. Meanwhile, Manila refers to parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled that China's claims over the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing does not recognize. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- General
- GMA Network
China Coast Guard ship waits outside Manila Bay; research vessel at Bajo de Masinloc
Chinese vessels were spotted off Luzon and appeared poised to intercept Philippine ships heading to Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal on Friday morning, according to a maritime expert. "China seems determined to intercept and escort any Philippine ship moving in Scarborough Shoal's general direction," former United States Air Force official and ex-Defense Attaché Ray Powell said on X (formerly Twitter). According to him, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5303 was escorting Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship BRP Datu Matanam Taradapit on its way back to the Sual Fish Port in Pangasinan. "The Philippines' BFAR ship BRP Datu Matanam Taradapit is on its way back to Sual Fish Port in Pangasinan after checking in on Reed Bank, Iroquois Reef, and the PH bases at Lawak and Patag Islands," Powell said. "It has picked up a Chinese 'escort' (China Coast Guard 5303) as it passed Scarborough to make sure it goes home and doesn't decide to visit again," he added. Powell also reported that another Chinese vessel CCG 3306 was spotted outside Manila Bay allegedly waiting for the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) ship BRP Cape San Agustin to come out. "A second Chinese escort has been assigned to the PCG's BRP Cape San Agustin. CCG 3306 waits just outside Manila Bay for it to emerge," the maritime expert said. Unusual Powell also noted the "surprise and unusual" deployment of Chinese research ship Xiang Yang Hong 10 in Bajo de Masinloc. "It left Fiery Cross Reef on 12 August (the day after the collision) and just arrived one kilometer south of Scarborough this morning," Powell said. "Its purpose there is unknown, but its capabilities include deep-sea surveying, resource exploration and deploying autonomous underwater vehicles," he added. 4?A second ????????escort has been assigned to the ????????#Philippines Coast Guard's BRP Cape San Augustin. China Coast Guard 3306 waits just outside Manila Bay for it to emerge. #China seems determined to intercept & escort any Philippine ship moving in #ScarboroughShoal's general… — Ray Powell (@GordianKnotRay) August 15, 2025 Powell said the number of Chinese vessels in Bajo de Masinloc is fewer now, following a temporary increase on August 5 with at least eight CCG ships and 14 Chinese maritime militia vessels. At present, three CCG ships and eight Chinese maritime militia vessels are in the area, he said. Most of them are returning to China but two of the militia vessels appear headed to Spratly Islands. "This suggests Beijing had intelligence that the Philippines was planning Monday's 'Kadiwa' operation and augmented its force in anticipation," he said. GMA News Online has sought comment from the PCG about the reported presence of Chinese ships, but it has yet to provide a statement as of posting time. August 11 incident Last Monday, the PCG and BFAR headed to Bajo de Masinloc to distribute aid to local fishermen as part of the Kadiwa program. However, several Chinese vessels harassed Philippine vessels by firing a water cannon, performing dangerous maneuvers, and shadowing. According to the PCG, People's Liberation Army Navy ship 164 and CCG vessel 3104 collided while they were chasing PCG's BRP Suluan. The CCG vessel sustained substantial damage, rendering it unseaworthy, while the flagpole of the PCG vessel was also damaged. Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country's claim. The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis." China has refused to recognize the decision. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
DFA: PH no responsibility over collision between PLAN, CCG in Bajo de Masinloc
China Coast Guard vessel 3104, which was chasing the BRP Suluan of the Philippine Coast Guard near Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea, collides with People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) ship 164 of China on Monday, August 11, 2025. Screenshot from PCG video The Philippines bears no responsibility for the collision between the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the China Coast Guard (CCG) near Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday. "The PHL bears no responsibility for the collision between the PLAN vessel and the CCG vessel in Bajo de Masinloc. It was an unfortunate outcome, but not one caused by our actions,'' Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro said in a statement. The DFA earlier expressed serious concern over "dangerous" maneuvers by China against Philippine ships in the region last Monday. Manila denounced Beijing's use of force against the Philippine vessels near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal, a U-shaped rocky outcrop teeming with marine resources in the West Philippine Sea 124 nautical miles off Zambales. The flagpole of the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) BRP Suluan was also bent after getting hit by a warship of the PLAN during the incident. The PCG vessel sustained the damage when PLAN 164 had a collision with China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 3104 as the two Chinese ships chased the Philippine vessel. The PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) were on a mission to distribute aid to local fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) as part of the Kadiwa program. Despite the harassment, the PCG said it immediately offered support, including assistance with man-overboard recovery and medical aid for any injured CCG crew members. The Philippine government, meanwhile, reiterated its demand to China ''for compensation for the damage caused to vessels and equipment last June 17 2024, as well as the return of its firearms and equipment, and the personal effects of its personnel that were illegally seized on that date." — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
