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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is looking to hold discussions with China regarding a violent clash that occurred last week between their sailors in the West Philippine Sea, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo announced on Tuesday.
On June 17, Chinese coast guard personnel, armed with knives, sticks, and an axe, thwarted a Filipino navy attempt to resupply marines stationed on a derelict warship at Second Thomas Shoal. This incident marks the latest and most severe in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships, as Beijing intensifies efforts to assert its claims over nearly the entire strategic waterway.
Manalo indicated that Manila hopes to convene the Philippines-China Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea in early July “specifically to discuss the recent incidents,” during a Philippine senate public hearing on the clash.
“We still believe in the primacy of dialogue, and diplomacy should prevail even in the face of these serious incidents, though I admit it’s also a challenge,” Manalo said.
The clash resulted in a Filipino soldier losing a finger, and Manila has accused the Chinese coast guard of looting guns and damaging three boats as well as navigational and communication equipment. Beijing, however, maintained that its coast guard acted in a “professional and restrained” manner and blamed Manila for the confrontation.
In previous encounters, Chinese forces have used water cannons and military-grade lasers and have collided with Filipino resupply vessels and their escorts.
The Philippines and China launched the consultative mechanism in 2017 to promote peaceful management of conflicts in the South China Sea. Manalo stated that the proposed July meeting aims to establish “confidence-building measures” that can pave the way for “more serious discussions.” A working group was convened last week to prepare for the meeting.
Following the clash, Manalo said his office contacted China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy in the Philippines. “We sternly communicated to our counterparts that it was really incomprehensible how the delivery of basic necessities to our troops could be considered a provocation that would justify an increased level of Chinese actions,” he stated.
China claims nearly the entirety of the South China Sea, dismissing competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, and disregarding an international ruling that its stance has no legal basis. Second Thomas Shoal lies about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometers from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan island. China deploys coast guard and other boats to patrol the waters around the shoal and has converted several reefs into artificial militarized islands.
