The Philippine military accused a Chinese Navy warship of executing "aggressive" and unsafe maneuvers against a Philippine ship in the waters near Huangyan Island (also known as Democracy Reef) in the South China Sea, raising the possibility of misjudgment between the two sides and expressed "serious concern" about it.
Philippine military public affairs office director Trinidad said in a statement on the morning of the 8th that the Philippine Navy's "Jacinto" patrol frigate, while providing "routine, legal" maritime patrol support for the Fisheries Bureau and Philippine Coast Guard vessels on the 5th, was subjected to aggressive and unsafe maneuvers by two Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Jiangkai II-class frigates.
Trinidad noted that the incident occurred 11.8 nautical miles southeast of Huangyan Island, with the Chinese ships bearing the hull numbers 554 and 573.
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Huangyan Island is a hotspot for South China Sea disputes between China and the Philippines. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including Huangyan Island, based on the "ten-dash line," while the Philippines, citing the "United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," asserts that Huangyan Island is within its Exclusive Economic Zone where it has the sole right to resources.
In 2012, China effectively controlled Huangyan Island and since then has prohibited Philippine fishermen and government vessels from approaching. The following year, the Philippines brought the dispute to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands. In July 2016, the PCA ruled that China's nine-dash line (now ten-dash line) has no legal basis under international law, and that the Philippines has the right to the resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone. Beijing did not accept or recognize the arbitration result.
According to the video released by the Philippine military on the 8th, the Chinese warship with hull number 554 was closely following the Philippine "Jacinto," while the Chinese ship with hull number 573, ahead of "Jacinto," suddenly turned sideways, seemingly intending to block the Filipino ship's path, creating a risk of collision.
Additionally, the Chinese coast guard vessel numbered 5403 also attempted to interfere with the "Jacinto's" navigation path.
Trinidad stated that China's reckless actions violate the "International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea," posing a direct threat to "Jacinto's" navigational safety, and could exacerbate tensions through misjudgment. The Philippines expressed serious concern over this.
On the other hand, when questioned by the media, Trinidad said that the closest estimated distance between the two ships was about 25 to 50 meters, quite dangerous, but emphasized that the Philippines would not back down and will continue routine patrol missions in the waters around Huangyan Island.
The administration of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has set four red lines for the South China Sea disputes, one of which is the prohibition of land reclamation and construction of artificial islands at Huangyan Island. Thus, the Philippines continues to closely monitor China's activities in the waters around Huangyan Island.