Beijing wants joint Philippines-China probe of Reed Bank ramming

China on Thursday proposed a joint investigation with the Philippine government on the Reed Bank collision as soon as possible to achieve "mutually-recognized results."

"To find a proper solution, we suggest a joint investigation at an early date so the two sides can exchange respective initial findings and properly handle the matter through friendly consultations based on mutually-recognized investigation results," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang in Beijing.

The statement came a day after China has called “irresponsible” and “counter-constructive” the "political interpretations" and criticisms on the June 9 Reed Bank incident that sparked public outrage in the Philippines and prompted Manila to file a diplomatic protest. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on China-Filipino Fishing Vessels Collision Incident (June 20, 2019) pic.twitter.com/iZBrRp6nHL

— ChineseEmbassyManila (@Chinaembmanila) June 20, 2019

In its statement on Wednesday, China maintained it was an “accidental collision” and that Filipino and Chinese fishermen “have long been friendly to each other, rendering mutual assistance to the best of their capabilities in times of need."

Last week, 22 Filipino crew were left at the Reed Bank off the western Philippine province of Palawan after their fishing boat was hit by a Chinese vessel causing it to founder.

The fishermen claimed the Chinese vessel intentionally hit their boat and abandoned them when the seacraft began to sink.

But after meeting with Philippine officials on Wednesday, the fishermen retracted their earlier statement, saying the collision could have been an accident.

Competing claims by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan to the South China Sea, a strategic waterway believed to be sitting atop huge gas and oil deposits, have sparked occasional violence and now regarded as a potential regional flashpoint for armed conflict.

China claims a huge swathe of the South China Sea as part of its territory, but the Permanent Court of Arbitration tribunal in The Hague invalidated this claim in July 12, 2016 following the case filed by the Philippines in 2013.

The decision defined for the first time which South China Sea features were considered islands, rocks and low-tide elevations under UNCLOS.

It is a crucial decision as it defines the extent of territorial waters that can be projected by a particular type of maritime feature.

Beijing has ignored and belittled the ruling, insisting it has “indisputable” and “historical” claim over nearly the entire waters even as it encroaches on the territories of its smaller neighbors like the Philippines. —NB, GMA News