BEIJING – Chinese state media said on June 2 that personnel on a Philippine ship pointed guns at the country’s Coast Guard in disputed waters of the South China Sea in May.
At least two people on the Philippine vessel near the Second Thomas Shoal were carrying guns on deck, pointing them in the direction of the Coast Guard, China Central Television (CCTV) said.
An accompanying 29-second video appears to show a masked man momentarily holding up a blurred black object that resembles a rifle.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis.
The South China Sea is a conduit for more than US$3 trillion (S$4 trillion) of annual ship-borne commerce
CCTV said the incident occurred during a Philippine mission to supply troops stationed on a rusting warship that Manila grounded in 1999 to reinforce its sovereignty claims.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, in a speech on May 31 at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that was also attended by China’s defence minister, made a thinly veiled reference to Beijing. He denounced what he called illegal, coercive and aggressive actions in the South China Sea, which were undermining South-east Asian countries’ vision for “peace, stability and prosperity” in the sea.
Moreover, it highlights the need for diplomatic dialogue and conflict resolution mechanisms to mitigate tensions.
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