“The Philippines is dishonest in its dialogue, deliberately stirs up trouble, maliciously incites and sensationalises, and continues to undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea region,” said Gan.
“The China coastguard is always ready to resolutely respond to any infringement and provocation at any time, and resolutely safeguard the country’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”
South China Sea: ‘stop harassing us’, Philippines foreign minister urges Beijing
South China Sea: ‘stop harassing us’, Philippines foreign minister urges Beijing
In response, the Philippine coastguard said two of its vessels – BRP Cabra and BRP Sindangan – had been sent to bring supplies to troops stationed on a Second World War warship that has been grounded on the reef when the incident occurred.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, a spokesman for the Philippine coastguard, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the Philippine ships “faced dangerous manoeuvres and blocking” from the Chinese coastguard and maritime militia throughout the incident.
“Their reckless and illegal actions led to a collision between [BRP Sindangan] and China Coast Guard 21555 that resulted in minor structural damage to the vessel,” he said.
Second Thomas Shoal – known as Renai Reef in China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines – is controlled by Manila but also claimed by Beijing, Taipei and Hanoi. It is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, about 190km (120 miles) from the island of Palawan.
The Philippines has outposts on nine reefs and islands in the Spratly Islands – called Nansha in Chinese – including Second Thomas Shoal.
The atoll has become a flashpoint between China and the Philippines in recent months, following a string of incidents including other collisions and the use of water cannons against Philippine ships.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including the Spratlys, where the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations have overlapping claims.
China rejected an international ruling in 2016 that its territorial and maritime claims have no legal basis and has continued to build outposts on islands and atolls that it controls.
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Chinese floating barrier blocks entrance to Philippine ships at South China Sea flashpoint
Chinese floating barrier blocks entrance to Philippine ships at South China Sea flashpoint
“Our independent foreign policy compels us to cooperate with [China] on matters where our interests align, to respectfully disagree on areas where our views differ, and to push back when our sworn principles such as our sovereignty, our sovereign rights, and our jurisdiction … are questioned or ignored,” Marcos said.
Beijing flexes muscles in South China Sea as Manila puts it on the defensive
Beijing flexes muscles in South China Sea as Manila puts it on the defensive
“Our forces must be able to guarantee to the fullest extent possible … unimpeded and peaceful exploration and exploitation of all natural resources in areas where we have jurisdiction, including … our exclusive economic zone.”
Since Marcos came to power in 2022, Manila has been pursuing closer ties with its traditional ally, the United States.
Last month, the two countries staged a joint air patrol over the South China Sea, which were monitored by the People’s Liberation Army.