MANILA, Philippines — China defended its action against Philippine ships over its “unauthorized” entry into what it claimed were its territories in disputed waters.
Thursday’s statement from Liu Dejun, spokesman for the China Coast Guard (CCG), comes a day after the Philippines fisheries bureau accused the CCG of firing water cannon and sideswiping a government vessel while it collected sand for a research project.
Liu claimed that two Philippine official ships, designated as No. 3002 and No. 3003, entered Chinese waters near Zhubi Reef (Zamora Reef) and Tiexian Reef (Sandy Cay) without authorization from the Chinese government.
In response, “Chinese Coast Guard law enforcement officers took decisive action, asserting that their measures were conducted professionally and legally,” said Liu.
Liu detailed that during the operation, which lasted just over a minute, Philippine ship No. 3002 disregarded multiple warnings from Chinese authorities and approached a CCG vessel, resulting in a collision. Liu emphasized that the responsibility for the incident lay entirely with the Philippines.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which was operating the vessels, confirmed that the BRP Datu Sanday and BRP Datu Pagbuaya, were engaged in a routine scientific mission to collect sand samples when a CCG vessel fired water cannon and collided with one of the BFAR ships in the Pag-asa Cay area. BFAR said its operation was part of an ongoing marine scientific research initiative to understand the area’s ecological resources.
China and the Philippines have engaged in months of confrontations in the contested South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely, despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.
It was the first time water cannon was used against Philippine vessels near the disputed Sandy Cay reef, the bureau said.
The “aggressive interference, dangerous maneuvers, and illegal acts” damaged the Philippine ship’s port bow and smokestack, according to the bureau’s statement.
The Philippines scientific team was still able “to complete its operations in Pag-Asa Cays 1, 2 and 3,” the statement said, using the Philippine term for the Sandy Cays.
China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said she was not aware of the incident. “What I can tell you is that the Chinese Coast Guard always enforces the law in accordance with laws and regulations,” she said.
Last month, the Philippines slammed as “irresponsible” a Chinese state media report claiming that Sandy Cay 2 was put under China’s control.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said that the country’s coast guard had “implemented maritime control” over Tiexian Reef in mid-April.
