DND: Collision a 'serious escalation' in China's 'illegal' activities in WPS

The collisions between Chinese and Filipino vessels near Ayungin Shoal on Sunday are a “serious escalation” in China’s "illegal" actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Monday.

“This is a serious escalation of the illegal activities conducted by the Chinese government in the WPS in complete disregard of any norm or convention of international law,” he said during a Palace briefing.

Philippine government officials said the collision occurred on Sunday when two Filipino supply boats escorted by two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels were heading to Ayungin Shoal to deliver food and other supplies to the small navy detachment stationed on the grounded Philippine warship BRP Sierra Madre at the shoal.

Teodoro said that the incident occurred within the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where China has no jurisdiction, authority, and right to conduct any operations.

The Department of  Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday summoned Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian over the incident.

In response to the summons, Chinese Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong said he conveyed "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition of the Chinese side to the Philippine side over its vessels’ intrusion over its so-called waters."

Zhou maintained that Ayungin Shoal, which he referred to as  Ren’ai Jiao, "is part of China’s Nansha Qundao and China’s territory."

An international advocacy group that has been monitoring the South China Sea situation said that this is the first time they have seen such a collision in the West Philippine Sea.

"This one, in terms of how close the ships came to one another and actually the fact that they actually touched one another on at least two occasions that we know of, is certainly marking a serious escalation on China’s part," said Ray Powell, director of monitoring team SeaLight at Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, in Mav Gonzales' report on "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday.

Before the collision, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar said the dangerous maneuvers of a Chinese vessel against a Philippine ship on October 13 was an “elevation” of China’s aggressive actions.

Aguilar said that the October 13 incident was the first time a Chinese vessel tried to cross the bow of a Philippine Navy ship.

“The report says that there were instances of harassment this particular way, shadowing operations,” Aguilar said.

“But this is the first time that they tried to cross the bow of our naval vessel which is LS507 which is a kind of elevation of their activities as far as [rotation and reprovisioning] missions in Rizal Reef are concerned,” he added. — BM, GMA Integrated News