China Warns Philippines Over Warship in South China Sea

• Raven Ruma
• . August 8, 2023
• . Update: August 8, 2023 7:24 pm
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China’s foreign ministry reiterated on Tuesday its demand that the Philippines tow away a grounded warship – a rusted-out World War II relic used as a base – from a disputed shoal after Manila informed Beijing that it would not abandon the area. The dispute over the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea began when Manila accused the Chinese coast guard of “excessive and offensive actions” against Philippine vessels.

China’s foreign ministry issued a statement urging the Philippines to immediately remove the warship from Second Thomas Shoal and return it to its unoccupied state. China has repeatedly communicated with the Philippines through diplomatic channels regarding the Second Thomas Shoal dispute, but its goodwill and sincerity have been “ignored,” according to the statement.

Tuesday, the Chinese coast guard released a video of its ship spraying the Philippine vessel with a water cannon on August 5 as a “warning,” adding that it has always exercised “rational restraint.” The video depicted the water cannon spraying in close proximity to the smaller Philippine vessel without striking it. Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general of the National Security Council of the Philippines, reiterated remarks he made on Monday, stating, The Philippines will never abandon our post in Ayungin Shoal.

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He added that we urge China not to escalate the situation by using water cannons or military-grade lasers, which endangers Philippine lives, but rather by engaging in sincere negotiations and other diplomatic means. Under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., tensions have escalated over the South China Sea, with Manila turning back to the United States, which supports Manila in its maritime disputes with China. China’s coast guard reported on Monday that the country had instructed Manila not to send ships to the shoal and not to send construction materials for large-scale repairs and reinforcements to the grounded warship.

The foreign ministry announced on the same day that it had stopped a Philippine vessel en route to the reef “in accordance with the law” and condemned the Philippines for violating China’s sovereignty and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. The Chinese ambassador to the Philippines told Theresa Lazaro, undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, on Monday that China had no choice but to respond, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines reported on Tuesday.

Ambassador Huang Xilian stated that China has been awaiting a response from the Philippine side and hopes that both sides will begin discussions as soon as possible in order to jointly maintain peace and tranquilly in the relevant waters. China asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, which overlaps Malaysian, Vietnamese, Bruneian, Taiwanese, and Philippine waters.