South China Sea: China must restrain its forces from committing provocations, says Philippines

The Philippines has called on China to rein in its forces to keep them from committing any provocative acts. This follows Manila’s accusation of China’s coast guard of trying to disrupt its mission to resupply troops with lasers.

The Philippine military said on Monday said China should keep its forces from committing provocations after the Philippine coast guard accused the Chinese coast guard of pointing lasers at its vessel, disrupting a resupply mission to the Philippine Navy in the disputed South China Sea on February 6.

The crew was temporarily blinded by the lasers, disrupting the resupply mission of delivering food and supplies to troops at the Second Thomas Shoal, close to the Philippine island of Palawan.

“I think it’s time for the Chinese government to restrain its forces so that it does not commit any provocative act that will endanger the lives of people,” Philippine military spokesperson Medel Aguilar told reporters. The Philippine defense chief said the Chinese coast guard’s actions were “offensive” and unsafe.

A small unit of Philippine troops is based in the Second Thomas Shoal on a rusty World War II vessel that was intentionally grounded on the shoal, locally known as Ayungin in 1999 to reinforce the Philippines’ sovereignty claims in the Spratly islands.

“The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships to deliver food and supplies to our military personnel…is a blatant disregard for, and a clear violation of, Philippine sovereign rights,” said the PCG in a statement.

China claims most of the South China Sea citing a historic nine-dash line, which has angered neighboring countries with overlapping claims. However, in 2016, an international tribunal ruled that Beijing’s claims to the majority of the body of water have no basis in international law. Beijing has ignored the ruling and continues to assert its claims over the body of water.

The United States said on the same day that it supports the Philippines following the laser incident. China has said its coast guard conducted actions in line with the law. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that Washington backs Manila over the Chinese coast guard’s use of laser devices against the crew of the PCG.