Beijing, February 13 Beijing said today that its coast guard “acted with professionalism and restraint” when a Philippine vessel entered “without permission” the waters of Ren’ai Reef, on which China claims its sovereignty, of the Spratly islets which it also claims in whole or in part Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
“Ren’ai Reef is part of China’s Nansha Islands. On February 6, a Philippine Coast Guard ship broke into the reef waters without permission from the Chinese side,” the spokesperson said Thursday. Foreign Minister Wang Wenbin at a press conference.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also assured that in accordance with the provisions of national and international law, the Chinese vessel, accused by the Philippines of having used a blinding laser against one of its ships, “maintained the sovereignty and China’s Maritime Order” and carried it out “professionally and with moderation”.
“We hope the Philippines will earnestly respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and avoid taking any measures that may escalate disputes and complicate the situation,” Wang added.
The spokesperson also said that the two countries were discussing the incident through diplomatic channels, without confirming the veracity of the accusations related to the laser device.
The Philippine Coast Guard has accused a Chinese coastal patrol of using a blinding laser, ‘likely for military use’, against one of its vessels in the waters of what in the Philippines is known as Ayungin Atoll – that occupy the Philippines -, belonging to the Spratly Islands (called Nansha in China).
The Philippines assure that this new incident occurred less than 200 miles (about 322 kilometers) from the west coast of Palawan, in the south-west of the archipelago and inside the exclusive economic zone of the country.
This distance, 200 nautical miles, is the limit established by the UN to determine the maritime sovereignty of states, according to a convention to which China adhered in 1996.
The complaint comes at a delicate time, a week after the Philippines and the United States signed an agreement that guarantees the North American country access for its troops to four new military bases in “strategic” areas of the Philippines and which China considers that it “aggravates tensions in Asia.
China and the Philippines have a dispute over the sovereignty of several islands and atolls in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely on “historical grounds”, with some of these territories also disputed with Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei.
Meanwhile, the United States is seeking to thwart Beijing’s moves in key global trade and natural resource-rich waters, amid the two countries’ struggle to increase influence in the Pacific. ECE
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