Chinese Coast Guard Injures Filipino Sailor In South China Sea Incident
Chinese coast guard strikes Filipino sailor in disputed South China Sea.
The Philippine military on Monday accused Chinese Coast Guard personnel of assaulting a Filipino sailor during an encounter at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. According to the military, the sailor sustained injuries after being repeatedly struck on the head with a wooden baton during the incident, which was captured on video by fellow Filipino personnel.
Military officials said a Chinese Coast Guard inflatable boat carrying eight personnel approached the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded Philippine Navy vessel that serves as an outpost at the contested shoal. The Chinese personnel allegedly manoeuvred close to the vessel while taking photographs and recording videos. Filipino sailors aboard two rubber boats reportedly asked the Chinese personnel to move away in what the military described as a non-confrontational manner.
The Philippine military alleged that the Chinese personnel then reacted aggressively, with one officer repeatedly hitting a Filipino sailor on the head using a wooden baton and damaging one of the Philippine Navy's rubber boats. Officials said the injured sailor's condition was being assessed to determine whether medical evacuation would be required. Chinese authorities had not issued an immediate response to the allegations at the time of reporting.
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In a statement, the Philippine military said it would continue carrying out its constitutional duties and exercising what it described as the country's lawful rights in the West Philippine Sea, the term used by the Philippines for parts of the South China Sea. The Philippine Department of National Defense condemned the incident, describing it as another example of what it called a pattern of coercive and hostile actions by the Chinese Coast Guard.
The Second Thomas Shoal has remained a major flashpoint between the two countries since the Philippines intentionally grounded the BRP Sierra Madre there in 1999 to reinforce its territorial claim. China, which claims almost the entire South China Sea, has repeatedly demanded the removal of the vessel and has maintained a regular presence around the shoal, leading to frequent confrontations with Philippine forces.
The latest incident comes as foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gather for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where maritime disputes are expected to feature prominently. ASEAN and China have been negotiating a code of conduct aimed at reducing tensions in the South China Sea, while the United States has continued to reaffirm its commitment to supporting the Philippines under their mutual defence arrangements and promoting freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.
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