Chinese vessels obstructed Filipino supply boats en route to an outpost in the South China Sea in an incident that unfolded during a mission to the Second Thomas Shoal. This mission involved two Philippine coast guard ships, one of which had personnel on board, as well as two small commercial boats.
Upon reaching the area, they encountered a ship identified as the Chinese Coast Guard, which was significantly larger than the commercial boats, being five times their size. The standoff between the two sides continued for several hours.
Tensions between Manila and Beijing have been heightened following an incident in which the Philippine coast guard removed Chinese barriers in disputed waters the previous month. Manila regularly resupplies its outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal, located in the Spratly Islands, as a means to assert its economic rights in a region rich in fish and mineral resources. However, Beijing asserts extensive territorial claims over the entire South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands, which are also partially claimed by the Philippines.
The incident occurred on the second day of a three-day mission to the Second Thomas Shoal, with the journey taking place in challenging conditions due to an approaching typhoon and the seasonal monsoon.
As dawn broke, the Filipino vessels encountered what appeared to be the Chinese Coast Guard, along with two blue militia vessels bearing Chinese markings. The two Philippine Coast Guard ships were escorting the Filipino commercial boats carrying supplies sufficient for roughly one month.
When the vessels of the two countries encountered each other, the Chinese ships issued radio challenges to the Filipinos, demanding that they depart the area. When the Philippine ships declined to leave, the Chinese vessels formed a blockade.
The smaller Filipino commercial boats managed to maneuver past the blockade due to their size, a strategy that has proven effective in recent months. However, the two larger Philippine Coast Guard ships were unable to navigate through and came within a few meters of the Chinese ships at one point. They were so close that the crews of both sides took photographs of each other. Additionally, a Philippine military aircraft was observed flying overhead.
The Philippine ships eventually turned back at sundown once they confirmed that the supplies had been successfully delivered, and the two commercial ships were en route safely to port. All four vessels eventually returned to port, located several hours’ drive north of the capital, Manila, on the following Thursday.
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