China’s ramming of Philippine ship stops short of invoking US defence treaty

Analysts say the South China Sea clash is unlikely to trigger Washington’s involvement but advise Manila to start talking tactics

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Philippine coastguard personnel prepare rubber fenders after Chinese coastguard vessels blocked their way to a resupply mission at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on March 5. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:00pm, 19 Jun 2024Updated: 9:28pm, 19 Jun 2024

A recent skirmish in the South China Sea between navy personnel from the Philippines and the Chinese coastguard in which the Philippine side sustained injuries is not severe enough to invoke a defence treaty between Manila and Washington, observers say.

They warn, however, that the Philippines would have to register its strong disapproval of China’s actions to Beijing and discuss strategies with the US to continue Manila’s resupply missions in the disputed waters.

The Philippine military has accused China of “intentional high-speed ramming” in the incident on Monday, in which eight Filipino sailors were injured and one suffered a severed thumb. China’s coastguard also reportedly seized two lifeboats used for the resupply missions from the Philippine vessel.

Manila and the United States are bound by the long-standing 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT) that calls on both sides to help each other in times of aggression by an external power.

In a statement on Tuesday, Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner said the Chinese coastguard “has no right or legal authority to interfere with our legitimate operations or damage our assets within our exclusive economic zone (EEZ)”.

“This reckless and aggressive behaviour has caused bodily harm and constitutes a blatant violation of international maritime law, Philippine sovereignty, and sovereign rights,” Brawner added, noting that China’s actions also “pose significant risks to regional stability”.

Despite the incident, Brawner said his side remained committed to upholding the rule of law and would collaborate with international partners “to ensure and secure peace and stability across the West Philippine Sea and the Indo-Pacific Region”.