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Updated November 18th, 2021 at 10:48 IST

Philippines 'outraged' after Chinese vessels use water cannon to block Manila boats

Philippines conveyed “in the strongest terms our outrage, condemnation, and protest of the incident” to H.E. Huang Xilian, Ambassador of China, DFA said

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
Philippines
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
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After at least three Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels attacked two Manila supply boats by blocking and using water cannons in the disputed Second Thomas shoal occupied by Filipino marines in the South China Sea, Manila on Wednesday lodged “strong protest” against the Chinese coast guard’s behaviour. Condemning Beijing’s expansionist agenda and belligerence against the smaller Island nations, Manila's top diplomat on Nov. 18, Thursday hurtled warnings at China after the contentious maritime event prompted a furious reaction from the Philippines government, which reminded PRC that its naval vessels were protected under the mutual defence treaty with the United States.  

Philippines' Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. took to his official Twitter handle to contest PLAN’s provocations in the disputed waters that led at least two Philippines ships from the Philippines’ Western Command to instantly abort a mission to provide food supplies to Filipino armed forces deployed off western Palawan province in the Philippines’ internally recognised exclusive economic zone. In the series of tweets, Locsin slammed Chinese coast guard ships' for making advancement on Manila’s boats as he warned them "to take heed and back off.” He reminded, that this "failure to exercise self-restraint threatens the special relationship between the Philippines and China.” 

“Ayungin Shoal is part of the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), which is an integral part of the Philippines, as well as the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and over which the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction,” Manila’s DFA said.

“This failure to exercise self-restraint threatens the special relationship between the Philippines and China that President Rodrigo R. Duterte and President Xi Jin Ping have worked hard to nurture.”

A dilapidated Philippine Navy ship LT 57 (Sierra Madre) with Philippine troops deployed on board is anchored off Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal. Credit: AP

Philippines conveyed 'outrage, condemnation and protest' to China 

The Philippines has repeatedly expressed disagreement to China's new amended maritime law that requires foreign vessels sailing in the South China Sea to report the information to Chinese authorities. "They [Philippines' Navy] do not have to honour those laws by the Chinese within the West Philippines Sea,'' Delfin Lorenzana said at an event that marked 70th anniversary of the Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the US, asserting that the Manila boats exercised sovereign right within the hotly contested South China sea and they will not recognise Beijing’s unilaterally amended law. Chinese coastguard vessels 

While no one was reported hurt in the incident involving the Chinese coast guard vessels, as Philippines’ department of Foreign Affairs informed on Twitter: “Fortunately, no one was hurt; but our boats had to abort their resupply mission.” Locsin wrote that he conveyed “in the strongest terms our outrage, condemnation and protest of the incident” to H.E. Huang Xilian, Ambassador of China and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. 

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Published November 18th, 2021 at 10:48 IST

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