Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana is to recommend Manila file a strongly worded diplomatic protest after a fishing boat was hit in the South China Sea by a suspected Chinese vessel that abandoned the 22 Philippine fishers as their boat sank.
Lorenzana strongly condemned the sinking of the F/B Gimver 1 on Sunday night due to the collision at Reed Bank (Lile Bank, 禮樂灘) off the western Philippine province of Palawan and the abandonment of its Philippine crew.
He also thanked the Vietnamese fishers who rescued the crew and brought them to safety.
Lorenzana has sought an investigation into the sinking and said that the rescued crew identified the vessel that hit them as Chinese.
Asked if he would recommend any action against China, the defense chief yesterday told reporters: “A strongly worded diplomatic protest is in order.”
The Philippine coast guard said it was checking whether those involved were Chinese fishers or from other neighboring nations, and if the collision was intentional.
There was no immediate comment from Chinese officials.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the cowardly action of the Chinese fishing vessel and its crew for abandoning the Filipino crew,” Lorenzana said. “This is not the expected action from a responsible and friendly people.”
The F/B Gimver 1 had been anchored “when it was hit by the Chinese fishing vessel,” he said, indicating that the Philippine fishing boat might have been rammed.
Regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Penetrante said that the nighttime incident at Reed Bank appeared “like a hit and run,” with the vessel immediately moving away after hitting the boat in contravention of international regulations that require ships to rescue people facing danger at sea.
The Philippines says that Reed Bank lies well within its exclusive economic zone, but it has suspended oil and gas exploration in the area due to past Chinese protests.
Taiwan also claims sovereignty over the bank.
In past years, Chinese ships have blocked or intimidated Philippine military and civilian vessels at Reed Bank and nearby Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙), where Philippine marines keep watch on board a long-marooned Philippine navy ship while being constantly watched by Chinese coast guard ships in a years-long standoff.
After Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sought better ties with Beijing, China’s coast guard and military have allowed Philippine resupply missions to marines at Second Thomas Shoal.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said that Duterte backs Lorenzana’s actions on the boat sinking and added that the abandonment of the fishers was “uncivilized as it is outrageous.”
Panelo called on Chinese authorities to investigate the collision and impose sanctions on the Chinese crew.
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese