China Continues Maritime Clashes with Philippines and Japan over Territorial Disputes

Chinese Coast Guard "Philippine Vessel Intrudes into Nansha Islands Waters"
Chinese Coast Guard Ship in Senkaku Islands Ordered to Withdraw by Japanese Patrol Vessel

China continued its clashes with the Philippines and Japan, with whom it is engaged in maritime sovereignty disputes.

On the 10th, the China Coast Guard announced via its official social media account that two Philippine Coast Guard vessels, one government vessel, and one supply ship entered the waters near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands (Chinese name: Nansha Islands; Philippine name: Kalayaan Islands) without Chinese government approval, and control measures were taken.

The China Coast Guard stated, "At 6:39 a.m., the Philippine vessel 'Unayza May 1' ignored multiple stern warnings from us, violated the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and suddenly changed course in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, deliberately ramming our Coast Guard ship 21556, which was conducting lawful enforcement navigation, causing a side collision. The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippine side."

China and the Philippines had a confrontation the previous day near Scarborough Shoal (Chinese name: Huangyan Island), located about 650 km northeast in the South China Sea. The Philippines announced that the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons at its Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels near Scarborough Shoal, damaging the ships' communication and navigation equipment.

On the 10th, the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons at a Philippine fishing boat near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
[Image source=AP, Yonhap News]

China and the Philippines have recently had repeated clashes over sovereignty issues in the South China Sea. China claims about 90% of the area within the U-shaped nine-dash line as its territorial waters. The Philippines filed a lawsuit with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which ruled in 2016 that China's sovereignty claims have no basis under international law, but China has ignored this ruling. The China Coast Guard also fired water cannons at Philippine vessels near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands in August and last month.

On the same day, the China Coast Guard also announced that it had a confrontation with Japanese patrol vessels near the Senkaku Islands (Chinese name: Diaoyu Islands). Gan Wei, spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, stated on the official Coast Guard social media, "On the 9th, the Japanese fishing vessel 'Tsurumaru' and several patrol vessels illegally entered our Diaoyu Islands territorial waters. The China Coast Guard vessels took necessary control measures and issued warnings and eviction orders according to the law."

Spokesperson Gan said, "The Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islets are China's inherent territory. The China Coast Guard vessels conducted maritime rights protection and law enforcement activities in their national jurisdiction according to the law, and Japan has no right to object. We urge Japan to immediately cease all illegal activities in these waters and prevent similar incidents from recurring."

Locations of maritime clashes between China and Japan and the Philippines on the 9th and 10th (red dots). From the top, the Senkaku Islands where a clash occurred with Japan on the 9th, and Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal, where frictions occurred with the Philippines on the 9th and 10th respectively. [Image source=Google Maps capture]

The Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea are a site of sovereignty disputes between China and Japan. The islands are about 180 km from Ishigakijima in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and about 330 km from mainland China. The China Coast Guard has frequently publicized patrols around the Senkaku Islands to build justification supporting its territorial claims.

Following the conflict between China and Japan over the discharge of contaminated water (referred to by the Japanese government as "treated water") from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, China has repeatedly sent Coast Guard vessels to the area, and on the 28th of last month, it again clashed with Japanese patrol vessels in these waters. Major General He Lei, known as a Chinese military strategist, unusually mentioned the word "war" in an interview with Japan's Kyodo News the previous day regarding the Senkaku Islands, saying, "We do not wish for war, but we are not afraid of it."

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.