China Urges Philippines to Cease Provocations in South China Sea

Beijing has urged the Philippines to cease provocations following the latest incident in the South China Sea, the China Coast Guard said on Monday. Earlier that day, the Armed Forces of the Philippines accused the China Coast Guard of injuring a member of the Philippine Navy in the strategic waters. China countered that its small coastguard vessel was on patrol when a Philippine ship was illegally grounded in waters near Renai Reef in the South China Sea. The Philippine vessel ignored repeated warnings and launched two rubber boats that rapidly and dangerously approached and collided with the Chinese patrol ship. We demand that the Philippines immediately stop its provocations, the China Coast Guard said. China stated that Filipino personnel deliberately attacked its coastguard personnel using paddles and long poles. Following the incident, Manila distorted the facts and accused Beijing—a claim that is completely untrue, the China Coast Guard said. For decades, China has been engaged in territorial disputes with several Asia-Pacific nations over islands in the South China Sea, which is believed to hold significant hydrocarbon reserves. The areas contested in various disputes between China and Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and the Philippines include the Xisha (Paracel Islands), Nansha (Spratly Islands), and Huangyan (Scarborough Shoal). In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favour of the Philippines, declaring that China has no legal basis for its territorial claims in the South China Sea. Beijing, however, rejected the ruling and stated it neither recognises nor accepts the court’s decision.