Chinese state media reported on Sunday that personnel on a Philippine vessel pointed guns at China’s Coast Guard in the disputed waters of the South China Sea last month. The incident allegedly occurred near the Second Thomas Shoal, where at least two individuals on the Philippine ship were seen carrying and aiming guns towards the Chinese Coast Guard, according to a report by CCTV.
A 29-second video released by CCTV appeared to show a masked man briefly holding up an object resembling a rifle. This incident reportedly took place during a Philippine mission to resupply troops stationed on a rusting warship, grounded by Manila in 1999 to assert its sovereignty over the area.
The Global Times, a Chinese Communist Party-affiliated tabloid, claimed that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has been using a pair of vessels intentionally grounded for the past 45 days to stake a claim on the Sabina Shoal, another disputed area in the South China Sea. The region is a strategic conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship-borne commerce and is claimed in parts by several countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration declaring China’s claims have no legal basis, China continues to assert dominance over almost the entire South China Sea.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. indirectly addressed these tensions in a speech on Friday, attended by China’s defense minister, condemning “illegal, coercive and aggressive actions” in the South China Sea. Marcos emphasized that such actions threaten the vision of “peace, stability, and prosperity” held by Southeast Asian countries for the region.
Tensions between the Philippines and China have escalated over the past year, marked by frequent confrontations. These include the Chinese Coast Guard’s use of water cannons and Manila’s accusations of China ramming Philippine vessels.
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