Philippine boats breach Chinese coast guard blockade in another face-off

Two Philippine supply boats breached a Chinese coast guard blockade in the South China Sea in a recurring confrontation near a disputed shoal that many fear could spark a larger security crisis in the region.

On Thursday, two Philippine coast guard ships escorted the smaller supply boats, but it wasn't immediately clear whether the ships were blocked by the Chinese coast guard from coming closer to the Second Thomas Shoal.

A small contingent of Filipino marines has stood guard for years aboard a long-marooned but still actively commissioned warship, the BRP Sierra Madre.

“Despite attempts by a significant number of China coast guard and Chinese maritime militia vessels to block, harass, and interfere with the routine rotation and resupply mission,” the two Philippine boats managed to deliver provisions to the Filipino forces at the shoal, a Philippine government body overseeing the disputed waters said in a statement late on Wednesday.

“The Philippines’ resupply missions and maintenance of BRP Sierra Madre are part of regular operations in line with domestic and international law and ensures safety and well-being of our stationed personnel,” the inter-agency body said.

It didn't provide other details of the Chinese coast guard's actions, which it has condemned in the past as dangerous manoeuvres that have nearly caused collisions. and violated international safety regulations at sea.

Dangerous confrontation

The Chinese coast guard said in a statement on Wednesday night that the Philippine vessels entered the waters “without permission from the Chinese government” and that "China firmly opposes the Philippines illegally transporting building materials to the ‘grounded' military boat.“

It said it gave a stern warning to the Philippines vessels and monitored them throughout the process.

The dangerous confrontation on Wednesday is the latest flare-up from the long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest trade routes.

The conflicts, which involve China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei, are regarded as a potential Asian flashpoint and have also become a delicate fault line in the US-China rivalry in the region.

In early August, a Chinese coast guard ship used a water cannon against one of two Philippine supply boats to prevent it from approaching the Second Thomas Shoal.

The brazen move, which was caught on video, outraged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and prompted the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila to summon the Chinese ambassador to hand a strongly worded protest.

Washington reacted by renewing a warning that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, aircraft and vessels come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry accused Washington then of “threatening China” by raising the possibility of the US-Philippines mutual defence treaty being activated. Beijing has repeatedly warned the US not to meddle in the territorial disputes.