Tension in South Sea: China blocks Philippine Coast Guard carrying aid to fishermen

Philippines announced this Saturday that a ship Chinese naval forces In a new episode a Coast Guard vessel was blocked from passing, part of the tension due to the clashes. South Sea. According to coastal authorities, the BRP Datu Sanday He was on a redistribution mission to 44 local fishermen who were waiting near Bajo de Masinloc.

Video aired by state channel PTV The Beijing ship is shown blocking the Manila ship from advancing. According to them, the foreign vessel was about 300 meters from the Philippines and the maneuver took place 1.2 nautical miles south of Pantag Shoal.

However, despite the Xi Jinping regime's efforts, BRP Datu Sanday was able to bring gasoline and food packages to the fishing boats.

Apart from the Philippines and China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim sovereignty in the South China Sea, where such maneuvers are increasingly seen. Every year, ships carrying cargo worth nearly USD 3.4 billion pass through this route.

On February 11, the Manila Coast Guard had already issued a condemnation Jamming up to eight Chinese military vesselsIf so, one of its boats patrolled the sandbanks of Bajo de Masinlac.

“Chinese Coast Guard vessels conducted four dangerous and preventive maneuvers against the 'PRP Teresa Magbanua', in two of which they passed in front of the bow in violation of international norms to avoid collisions at sea,” they noted. Later in a statement.

However, as it always does in these episodes, Beijing assured that this was a security measure after the Philippine ships “disregarded the Coast Guard's warning calls and illegally entered the waters adjacent to Huangyan Island”. They asserted that the Coast Guard Service “applied measures such as lane control and removal, professionally handling the situation,” according to the law.

A few days later, in new support for the country, America It mobilized aircraft from its air force to the region to carry out joint patrols. Three Philippine FA-50 fighter jets and a US B-52H bomber flew over a part of the western part of the Asian archipelago “with the aim of strengthening cooperation with US counterparts and protecting the national territory”, a video with images of the ships indicated in the flight.

The patrol took place between the waters off Canton City, northwest of Luzon Island, and Lubang Island, in the central part of the archipelago.

Since Ferdinand Marcos Jr's ascension to the presidency last year, the Philippines – which reached out to China during Rodrigo Duterte's mandate (2016-2022) – has taken a U-turn in efforts to strengthen its historic security alliance with the US. Increase in harassment by Chinese vessels.

(with information from Europa Press)