A BBC team on a Philippine Coast Guard vessel witnessed an incident caused by a much larger Chinese vessel. “They were so close I could see their faces,” says one reporter. Two of the military were filming the Philippine ship.
The BBC team was on board the Philippine vessel BRP Bagacay when it was approached by Chinese vessels on Tuesday.
The Filipino crew rushed to hang yellow foam barriers over the side of the ship, preparing for a collision. The Chinese ship made a sudden maneuver, forcing the Filipino captain to slow down suddenly. The two ships were less than five meters apart.
The Philippine boat was sailing towards Scarborough Shoal, a small coral atoll located 220 kilometers away from the west coast of the Philippines, an atoll also claimed by China.
At least 10 Chinese ships tried to block the Philippine fleet, which consisted of a Coast Guard vessel and a boat carrying supplies for fishermen around the atoll.
The second ship was more severely damaged by the water cannons that the Chinese used to stop the Filipino boats.
This is not unusual in the South China Sea. But these incidents have become more frequent and more serious since Philippine President Bongbong Marcos authorized the Coast Guard to challenge the Chinese presence in the disputed areas much more forcefully than in the past.
“The Chinese government has always said there is a red line,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine name for the areas it claims.
“They said we couldn’t go beyond the 12 nautical mile limit from the shoal. But under this administration we have already crossed that red line to show that China does not respect international law,” he adds.
Tuesday’s mission had the same role.
Officially, its purpose was to provide food and fuel to Filipino fishermen who have worked on Scarborough Shoal for decades but have complained of constant harassment since the Chinese Coast Guard took control of it in 2012.
It was also intended to demonstrate the Philippines’ determination to stake its claim on the bank, which is in the country’s legally recognized exclusive economic zone and is much closer to the Philippines than to China.
An international court ruled in 2016 that major elements of China’s claims in the South China Sea, such as the 9 nautical mile limit, along with a range of activities in Philippine waters, are illegal. However, China does not recognize the court ruling.
Publisher: MB
Tags: PHOTO moment Chinese Coast Guard attacks Philippine ships close faces
