Following clashes during attempts to refuel the BRP Sierra Madre, tensions are rising in the China Sea. Here’s an update on the situation.
From the clashes of mid-December 2023 to the skirmishes of early March, the dispute between Philippine and Chinese naval forces in the South China Sea is escalating yet again. On Tuesday, March 5, the Philippine Coast Guard accused Chinese forces of causing collisions with two of its vessels, which were in the middle of a refueling mission.
Worse, Chinese personnel are said to have deliberately injured four of their crews with water cannons, shattering the windows of the Unaizah-May-4’s command post in the process. Composed by two supply ships and two escort vessels, the fleet suffered both human and material damage.
According to its spokesman, Gan Yu: the Chinese vessels “harassed, blocked and executed dangerous maneuvers in a further attempt to illegally obstruct or impede a routine resupply and rotation mission“. The same day, Manila authorities summoned the Chinese representative to denounce the country’s aggressive actions. Mao Ning, spokesman for Chinese diplomacy, expressed protests and questioned the intentions of the affected fleet. This latest incident comes on the heels of a strong statement by the President of the Philippines : his nation “will never give even one square centimeter of its territory up“.
China Sea EEZ: A never-ending conflict
China’s illegal attempts of destabilization and intimidation are common. The country claims territories while rising tensions are going on. This is not the first time they act so. In 2016, The Hague Court decided to invalidated China’s claims to the South Sea. Unsurprisingly, China rejected the international court ruling and maintains its expansionist ambitions.
Today, these claims are of great concern to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. In early June, Manila reported a worrying increase in Chinese presence in the southern zone. For example, between February and June 2023, the number of Chinese fishing boats increased… by 300%.
With Beijing claiming almost total control of the China Sea, Second Thomas Bank is a key element in its ambitions. According to specialist Pak Kuen Lee, from the University of Kent’s Center for Conflict Research and Analysis, on this atoll lays the BRP Sierra Madre, “deliberately beached in 1999, to physically establish the Philippines’ claim to the reef“. Stationed on this World War II vessel, the Philippine military present on board form a symbolic outpost which China has long since decided to cut off. This is evidenced by the numerous obstructions to the free movement of ships since 2023.
