US: China’s repeated harassment of PH ships ‘detrimental’ to regional peace

The United States Department of State on Wednesday (Manila time) slammed the continued harassment of China on Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

“The repeated harassment of Philippine vessels near Scarborough Reef is detrimental to regional peace and stability,” US Department of State principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a press briefing.

Patel also called out the China Coast Guard’s installation of barriers in the area after it fired water cannons at Philippine ships anew on Tuesday.

“Our belief is that the Chinese coast guard installation of these barriers also endangers Philippine fisherfolk’s livelihoods and prevents them from exercising their legal rights to fish in those waters,” Patel said.

The US urged China to observe navigational rights and freedoms under international law, citing the 2016 Arbitral Award and the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention.

Patel said that “these are rights that were set out in 2016 in a final and legally binding judgment in the Philippines-China arbitration brought to the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention.” 

“And this is something that the Secretary made clear on his travels as well – is that we urge the PRC (People's Republic of China) to respect the navigational rights and freedoms guaranteed to all states under international law,” he added.

On Tuesday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said China Coast Guard vessels fired water cannons at Philippine civilian vessels en route to Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The PCG vessel BRP Bagacay sustained damage on a part of its superstructure.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel BRP Bankaw—which was also rammed by Chinese vessels three times—had damage to its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, electrical, navigation, and radio systems and superficial hull damage.

The Philippines on Wednesday accused the China Coast Guard of elevating tensions in the area.

"The Chinese coast guard now has elevated the tension and the level of their aggression as well towards the Philippine coast guard vessel. This is the first time that we can say that the coast guard vessel has been subjected to a direct water cannon with that kind of pressure that even resulted in structural damage," Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard's spokesperson for West Philippine Sea said.

Several countries have expressed concern over the incident.

On Tuesday, Chinese state media reported that the CCG has "expelled" a PCG ship and another vessel from waters adjacent to the Scarborough Shoal.

A separate Reuters report quoted Chinese ministry spokesperson Lin Jin as telling the Philippines to stop provocations and to not challenge China's determination to safeguard its "sovereignty."

"Philippine ships intruded without China's permission and the Chinese coast guard took necessary measures to drive them away," said Lin Jian, who was addressing a query on the matter.

The Philippines and China have repeatedly clashed in recent months at the submerged reef, which Manila says is in its exclusive economic zone.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. 

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China's claims had no legal basis.

China, however, refused to recognize the ruling. —VAL, GMA Integrated News