The Philippines has criticized the maneuvering of Chinese ships in the South China Sea
The March 2 incident occurred during Philippine maritime patrol operations around the Scarborough Shoal, known locally as Bajo de Masinloc, the PCG said in a news release.
It was still unclear whether the Philippines had protested diplomatically against the incident. The PCG said it must wait for the go-ahead from the country’s National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea before making the incident public.
The incident involved a China Coast Guard vessel, bow number 3305, conducting close-range maneuvers over an area about 21 yards (19.2 meters) towards the Philippine vessel BRP Malabrigo, the PCG said.
“This restricted BRP Malabrigo’s maneuvering space – a clear violation of the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) of 1972,” the PCG said.
The PCG had asked the country’s State Department to help resolve the issue through “rules-based and peaceful approaches,” according to PCG commander Adm. Artemio Abu.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
China claims most of the waters within a so-called nine-dash line in the South China Sea, which is also contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Abu said it was the fourth reported incident of close-range maneuvers involving the Chinese Coast Guard and Philippine ships in the Scarborough Shoal since May last year.
Despite the risks, Abu said, the deployment of Filipino assets and personnel in waters within the country’s exclusive economic zones continues.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/28/asia/philippines-china-ships-intl-hnk/index.html The Philippines has criticized the maneuvering of Chinese ships in the South China Sea
