The Philippines yesterday denounced China’s alleged assault of Vietnamese fishers in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are also locked in violent confrontations that have led to fears of armed conflict.
Vietnam has accused “Chinese law enforcement forces” of beating the 10 fishers with iron bars and robbing them of thousands of dollars’ of fish and equipment on Sunday off the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島).
A Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson acknowledged an incident took place there, but disputed the Vietnamese version of the events.
Photo: AP
China and Vietnam both claim the Paracel Islands, but the Philippines does not.
“We strongly condemn the violent and illegal actions of Chinese maritime authorities against Vietnamese fishermen near the Paracel Islands on September 29, 2024,” Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement.
He described the “unjustified assault” as an “alarming act with no place in international relations.”
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement yesterday saying that it was aware of the “serious incident.”
“The Philippines has consistently denounced the use of force, aggression and intimidation in the South China Sea, and emphasized the need for actors to exercise genuine self-restraint,” it said. “It is a paramount obligation to ensure the safety at sea of vessels and their crew, especially fisherfolk.”
The incident came just over three months after Chinese law enforcement personnel armed with knives, sticks and an axe attacked Filipino troops attempting to resupply a garrison on Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙) in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島).
The Chinese seized guns and other equipment, and damaged Philippine boats, while a Filipino sailor lost a thumb in the June 17 melee.
China Coast Guard and other vessels have also rammed, water-cannoned and blocked Philippine government vessels on several occasions around Second Thomas Shoal and Sabina Shoal (Xianbin, 仙濱暗沙) in the Spratly Islands, as well as Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in another area of the sea.
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea and has for years sought to expand its presence in contested areas there, brushing aside an international ruling that its claim to most of the waterway has no legal basis.
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