After a clash in the South China Sea, the Philippine military has demanded that the Chinese coast guard return captured weapons and equipment. China should also pay for the damage caused by its coast guards, said Armed Forces Chief Romeo Brawner on Wednesday as he awarded a medal to an injured naval officer. “They illegally boarded our boats and stole our equipment,” said Brawner. “They are like pirates now.”
According to the Philippines, eight Chinese motorboats attacked two Philippine Navy inflatable boats on Monday that were trying to bring food and other supplies to Second Thomas Shoal, a reef in the South China Sea that China also claims as its own.
Two security officials told the AP that Chinese coast guards rammed the boats, stabbed them with knives and machetes, boarded them and injured several Filipinos. One of them had his right thumb severed. The Chinese seized eight packaged rifles, navigation equipment and other goods.
Brawner said the Filipinos in the boats were not carrying weapons and were defending themselves with their bare hands. “Our goal is to avoid war,” he said. Numerous photos published by the AP news agency confirm the confrontation.
China, on the other hand, blamed the Philippines for the skirmish. Filipinos had “trespassed” on the reef despite warnings, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian. “The Chinese coast guard has taken professional law enforcement measures on site with restraint to stop the illegal supply mission of the Filipino ships,” he added.
China claims practically the entire South China Sea for itself and has already set up two administrative districts for reef and island groups. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei reject the claims and cite a ruling by the UN arbitration tribunal in 2016. China does not recognize the arbitration award.
Hostilities over the Second Thomas Shoal between China and the Philippines escalated last year. The Philippines ran the warship Sierra Madre aground there in 1999 to create a territorial outpost. The rusting Sierra Madre is still considered an active military ship, with a small Philippine naval contingent stationed on board. This means that the Philippines could view an attack on the Sierra Madre as an act of war.
The United States reiterated on Tuesday that it is committed to defending the Philippines as its ally.
