China’s coast guard stated that they rescued Filipino “personnel” who had fallen overboard on Sunday, August 25, 2024, after a Philippine vessel collided with one of its ships near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.
In recent months, the two nations have experienced multiple confrontations in the waters. On Saturday, Manila accused China of firing flares at one of its patrol aircraft on two separate occasions.
China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu mentioned that the collision on Sunday occurred when a Philippine vessel refused to comply with “control measures” near Xianbin Reef in the Nansha Islands, known as the Sabina Shoal and the Spratly Islands, which are also claimed by Manila.
The spokesperson stated that the Philippine vessel “deliberately collided” with a Chinese Coast Guard ship, and China promptly rescued the Filipino personnel who had fallen into the water.
It was not specified whether “personnel” referred to one or more individuals, and further details were not provided.
Gan warned the Philippines to stop its infringing actions immediately, or face the consequences of the situation.
On Saturday, the Philippines alleged that China had fired flares at one of its aircraft earlier in the month during a patrol in the South China Sea.
Additionally, both countries reported a collision between their coast guard ships near the disputed Sabina Shoal on Monday. This shoal is located 140 kilometers west of the Philippine island of Palawan and approximately 1,200 kilometers from Hainan island, the closest Chinese landmass.
Manila stated that this was the first hostile action by Beijing near Sabina, where both nations have stationed coast guard vessels in recent months. The Philippines is concerned that China may be planning to construct an artificial island in the area.
China claims the majority of the sea and has disregarded a ruling by an international tribunal that deemed its claims as having no legal basis. The country patrols the region with boats and has constructed and militarized artificial islands to reinforce its claims.
