MANILA: Several envoys from Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania condemned the repeated ramming of a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel against a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship over the weekend.
In a statement, European Union (EU) spokesperson Nabila Massrali said the CCG’s ‘dangerous actions’ against ‘lawful Philippine maritime operations’ violate international law.
‘The incident is the latest of several such actions during the past months, which endanger the safety of life at sea, and violate the right to freedom of navigation and overflight to which all nations are entitled,’ Massrali said.
She said the United Nations (UN) Charter, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other relevant international norms relating to safety of life at sea, and the Arbitration Award of 2016, ‘should be upheld and respected at all times.’
‘The EU condemns all unlawful, escalatory and coercive actions that undermine these principles of international law and threaten peace and stability in the region,’ sh
e said, citing the prohibition on the use of force or coercion, and the right to freedom of navigation and overflight.
The EU called for de-escalation of tensions and committed to supporting its partners ‘to exercise their legitimate rights, in the region and beyond.’
EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron said he was ‘deeply concerned with the repetition of incidents’ in a post on X.
‘The EU reiterates its call for observance of freedom of navigation and maritime safety in the South China Sea, in accordance with international law,’ Véron said.
German Ambassador to the Philippines Andreas Pfaffernoschke supported the EU’s stance.
‘Germany fully subscribes to [Véron’s] statement,’ Pfaffernoschke said over X.
Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman also condemned the actions of the CCG and said the altercation was the ‘7th serious incident’ in August alone.
‘Canada calls on the People’s Republic of China to cease its repeated and dangerous obstruction of Philippine vessels and aircraft w
hich undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,’ Hartman said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya expressed concern over the repeated incidents as a stakeholder in the South China Sea.
‘Japan opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. Japan stands together with the Philippines by upholding rule of law at sea,’ Kazuya said in a post on X.
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Lee Sang-hwa shared Kazuya’s concerns on the recurring incidents ‘that have escalated tension and jeopardized the safety of the Philippine vessels and its personnel on board.’
‘The Embassy reiterates its support for peace, stability, safety, and rules-based order in these waters as well as the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS,’ Lee said in a post on Facebook.
In a statement, the New Zealand Embassy in Manila said the ramming of the CCG vessel of a Philippine ship was ‘pro
foundly troubling and fits a recent pattern of dangerous and destabilizing actions in the region.’
‘New Zealand calls for de-escalation and compliance with international law, in particular UNCLOS,’ the embassy said in a post on X.
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu backed the Philippines’ concerns about ‘China’s destabilizing behaviour at Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea.’
‘Repeatedly ramming vessels is unacceptable and dangerous. All countries must comply with international law. The 2016 Arbitral Award is binding on its parties,’ Yu said in a post on X.
Last Aug. 31, a CCG vessel repeatedly rammed the PCG’s biggest ship BRP Teresa Magbanua. while in transit to Escoda Shoal in the WPS which is about 75 nautical miles from Palawan.
It sustained damage in its bridge wing and freeboard but no injuries to the crew were reported.
Irresponsible, reckless
A think tank also branded the CCG’s acts against the PCG ship BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) dangerous, irresponsible, and reckless.
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It not only caused significant damage to our vessel, but gravely endangered the lives of those onboard. This kind of behavior has no place in our rules-based order,” Stratbase ADR Institute president Victor Andres Manhit said in a statement Monday.
He added that China’s claim that it ‘exercises indisputable sovereignty’ in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is false and baseless.
“It is an act of desperation because the matter has been, in fact, settled. Chinese behavior, including repeated incursions of its vessels into Philippine territory, unprovoked aggression, and the propagation of disinformation, are clear violations of international law,” Manhit stressed.
He urged China to behave responsibly and adhere to its obligations under international law, including the 2016 Arbitral Award, in both the maritime space and airspace.
‘It is the responsibility of all nations to ensure the peace, security, and stability of the Indo-Pacific,” Manhit said.
Source: Philippines News Agency
