Chinese, Philippine vessels in near-collision
Published on: Friday, April 28, 2023
By: AFP
A Chinese Coast Guard ship with bow number 5201 blocks Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Malapascua as it maneuvers to enter the mouth of the Second Thomas Shoal locally known as Ayungin Shoal at the South China Sea. Pic: (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
ABOARD THE BRP MALABRIGO: A Chinese coast guard ship cut off a Philippine patrol vessel carrying journalists in the disputed South China Sea, causing a near-collision, an AFP team on board another boat saw.The near-miss off the Spratly Islands on Sunday was the latest in a steady string of incidents between China and the Philippines in the contested waterway.ADVERTISEMENT
AFP was one of several media outlets invited to join two Philippine Coast Guard boats on a 1,670-kilometre (1,040-mile) patrol of the South China Sea, visiting a dozen islands and reefs.
The BRP Malapascua and BRP Malabrigo were shadowed by Chinese navy and coast guard ships, and ordered to leave the waters several times during the six-day journey.
“We would have collided on the bow had I not cut the engine and thrown it in reverse,” Malapascua commanding officer Rodel Hernandez told reporters of Sunday’s close call, describing it as an encounter between “David and Goliath”.
The incident happened after the Philippine coast guard boats approached Second Thomas Shoal, where Philippine marines are stationed in a run-down navy ship grounded to assert Manila’s territorial claim in the waters.ADVERTISEMENT
As the 44-metre (144-feet) Malapascua neared the shoal, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel more than twice its size sailed into its path.
Hernandez said the Chinese ship came within 45 metres of his boat and only his quick actions avoided the steel-hulled vessels crashing into each other.
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AFP watched the incident from the Malabrigo, which was less than a kilometre away. A second Chinese coast guard vessel was seen nearby.
Hernandez said Chinese boats routinely blocked his and other Philippine coast guard ships during their patrols near the shoal. However, Sunday was the “closest” he had seen vessels from the rival fleets come to a collision.
The Malapascua and Malabrigo had broadcast their intention to sail into the shoal to conduct a “site survey” and asked the Chinese vessels to “stay clear from our passage”. But the Chinese coast guard responded over the radio that the Philippine boats were illegally sailing in China’s territorial waters, and told them to leave.
Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometres from the major Philippine island of Palawan and more than a thousand kilometres from China’s nearest major landmass of Hainan island.
Over the past decade, China has ripped up thousands of hectares of reef in the Spratlys to create militarised islands with runways, ports and radar systems.
“If we ceased our watch they would soon take over Ayungin as well, so we need to be there always and challenge their harassment,” Hernandez said, using the Philippine name for the shoal.
The incident came just a day after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang for talks in Manila aimed at defusing tensions in the contested waterway.
Since taking office last June, Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on the Philippines’ rights in the sea – in contrast to his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte who was reluctant to criticise Beijing.
Marcos has meanwhile gravitated towards the Philippines’ traditional ally, the United States, as he seeks to strengthen their defence ties.
This shift has alarmed China, which has accused Washington of trying to drive a wedge between Beijing and Manila.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard has been trying to draw international attention to China’s activities in the South China Sea.
But with only three patrol vessels to monitor the vast waters, it is a challenge, said Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea. Out on the high seas, Malabrigo’s captain Commander Julio Colarina was defiant.
“The Philippines might be a small nation, but our country has a coast guard with a big heart that is willing to serve the Filipino people and an overwhelming loyalty and bravery to protect the republic,” Colarina said.
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