The Chinese coast guard said Filipino marines pointed guns at them. However, the Philippines Armed Forces said its marines were taking a defensive stance because the Chinese tried to steal supplies meant for the marines aboard a ship used as an outpost in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.
Newly released video appears to show two small Chinese vessels making aggressive and evasive maneuvers in the open ocean while trying to retrieve some air-dropped supplies last month. According to a Philippine navy spokesman, the Chinese personnel on board the boats later dumped the items in the water.
Chinese boats reportedly approached within five to 10 meters of the Sierra Madre — the vessel Manila intentionally grounded at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in 1999.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jr. clarified that the marines drew their weapons as a “precautionary measure” in self-defense. Brawner said this action aligns with the rules of engagement.
“It was just in preparation for self-defense in case something happens because they were very close,” Brawner said. “We have the right to defend ourselves.”
Brawner emphasized that the marines maintained “professionalism, restraint, and discipline under provocation.”
China claims historic rights over nearly all of the South China Sea, including areas like the Second Thomas Shoal, despite the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that defines economic zones and a 2016 ruling in The Hague.
The resource-rich South China Sea is also contested by Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam. Beijing’s claims, however, overlap with the exclusive economic zones of all these countries.
To enforce their claim, China deployed hundreds of vessels to patrol the area. During one of the clashes, Chinese ships shot high-pressure water cannons at Philippine forces. China’s Foreign Ministry asserted Philippine activities at the shoal, which it calls Ren’ai Reef, are illegal.
“The Philippines sending vessels to Ren’ai is in itself illegal, the Philippines is escalating the situation and we cannot accept it,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said.
Beijing also accused Manila of jeopardizing regional security and stability through its close ties with the U.S., including placing mid-range missiles in the Philippines during a joint military exercise in April.
