“We’re making full use of diplomatic processes … available to us. That includes summoning the Chinese ambassador, which we did this morning,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Teresita Daza told reporters.
Jonathan Malaya, spokesman for the Philippine National Security Council, said in a news conference on Monday that China’s move to interfere with a resupply mission on Sunday had resulted in damage to one of Manila’s boats but no one was harmed.
He repeated Manila’s call for China to stop its “provocative actions”, warning that continued attempts to block Philippine resupply missions to the disputed South China Sea atoll could have “disastrous results”.
“We call on China to stop its provocative actions, act responsibly and in accordance with international law and UNCLOS,” he said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Beijing and Manila accuse each other of ‘provocative’ actions in South China Sea
Beijing and Manila accuse each other of ‘provocative’ actions in South China Sea
“The Philippines will never be deterred by the provocative actions of China,” Malaya said, adding that authorities will continue to provide supply to its outpost in disputed waters.
“We are relieved and thankful that no Filipino personnel were harmed. But we are concerned by the escalation and provocations by Chinese vessels who have no business being in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
A Philippine government task force said on Sunday the “dangerous blocking manoeuvres of Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5203 caused it to collide with the Armed Forces of the Philippines-contracted indigenous resupply boat” about 25km (15 miles) from the shoal.
China said the “slight collision” happened after the resupply boat ignored “multiple warnings and deliberately passed through law enforcement in an unprofessional and dangerous manner”, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday, citing the foreign ministry.
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Beijing and Manila trade blame over ‘provocative’ moves with ship collisions near disputed shoal
Beijing and Manila trade blame over ‘provocative’ moves with ship collisions near disputed shoal
In another incident, a Philippine coastguard vessel escorting a routine resupply mission was “bumped” by what the Philippine task force described as a “Chinese Maritime Militia vessel”.
China, however, accused the Philippine boat of “deliberately” stirring up trouble by reversing in a “premeditated manner” into a Chinese fishing vessel.
Reporting by Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Bloomberg