Weeks of steadily escalating confrontations between the coast guards of China and the Philippines in the South China Sea culminated on Tuesday with Chinese analysts saying Beijing may deploy navy ships in future encounters.
China has generally only used its coast guard when attempting to drive away patrols by other countries in the area, which Beijing claims as its own despite international rulings to the contrary.
On Tuesday, a Philippines navy vessel entered an area near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The Chinese coast guard later said it drove away the vessel, a claim Manilla denied.
Because of the Philippines’ use of a navy — not a coast guard — ship, China may respond by sending the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, according to a report by the state-run Global Times, quoting Chinese government-affiliated analysts.
Tensions between China and multiple countries in the region — including Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia — are long-running. But in recent weeks there have been several particularly tense encounters between Filippino and Chinese vessels.
- WHAT CHINA SAYS HAPPENED: The China Coast Guard said a Philippine navy gunboat entered the area and “violated China’s sovereignty and international law.” The Filippino ship repeatedly ignored China’s warnings, causing China to “take necessary measures to force the vessel outside” the area. (CHINA COAST GUARD – in Chinese)
- WHAT THE PHILIPPINES SAYS HAPPENED: Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Romeo Brawner confirmed that one of its navy vessels was on a maritime patrol mission in the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal, but said it continued on its course despite being challenged by China’s coast guard. “No, [the Navy ship] was not driven away. So our stand is that it is still China’s propaganda. It’s still propaganda,” he said. (RAPPLER)
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The introduction of the PLA Navy to this situation could significantly alter the dynamic of this ongoing feud given that the Philippines is a formal U.S. ally. Manila said just last week that it was not prepared to call on the U.S. Navy for assistance but that could change quickly if the situation devolves.
SUGGESTED READING:
- Bloomberg: China Says It Drove Away Philippine Navy Ship in Disputed Sea by Cliff Harvey Venzon and Chi Yui Siu
- Global Times: China expels Philippine naval gunboat trespassing near Huangyan by Liu Xuanzun and Zhao Yusha
