Philippines accuses China of 'blocking' vessel passage in disputed waters

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Philippines Wednesday again charged China with “blocking” the passage of its two vessels in the disputed South China Sea.

Filipino Commodore Jay Tarriela, a spokesman for Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), said on Twitter that two Chinese vessels engaged in risky maneuvers in order to prevent two PCG ships from accessing Ayungin Shoal for a mission in the West Philippine Sea on June 30.

Manila and Beijing have counter-claims in the disputed South China Sea, which has seen persistent tensions between maritime neighbors.

Tarriela said that during the operation, the PCG ship was "constantly followed, harassed, and obstructed by the significantly larger Chinese Coast Guard vessels at a distance of approximately 100 yards."

He said that the Philippines Navy was "concerned about the presence of two Chinese Navy ships" on the western island of Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal).

"This is particularly alarming as the Philippine Navy's naval operation is solely humanitarian in nature. Despite this, the Chinese have deployed their warships, raising even greater concerns," he said.

In April, China and the Philippines had made conflicting claims about an incident involving vessels from the maritime neighbors.

The PCG had said: "On the morning of April 23, 2023, two Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels intercepted the PCG vessels that were in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal."

However, Beijing claimed Manila’s vessels allegedly intruded into its waters.