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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
May 23, 2025 | 11:49am
MANILA, Philippines — At least seven countries and the self-ruled island of Taiwan have condemned the China Coast Guard after it sideswiped and water-cannoned one of two Philippine fisheries vessels conducting research near Pag-asa Cay 2 (Sandy Cay) this week.
The May 21 incident in Philippine territorial waters has drawn sharp international criticism, with Taiwan, Japan, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand and the European Union swiftly denouncing China's actions as troubling for regional peace and the international rules-based order in separate statements.
RELATED: China blasts BFAR vessel with water cannon for the first time near Pag-asa
China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 21559 twice deployed water cannons and sideswiped the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel, BRP Datu Sanday, while it was in the vicinity of Pag-asa Cay 2 for a research mission, the bureau said in a statement on Thursday.
BRP Datu Sanday and BRP Datu Pagbuaya were conducting routine sampling and data collection for food security, fisheries management and marine environmental protection programs when they faced hostilities from Chinese vessels, according to a statement by the Philippines' National Maritime Council on Friday.
CCG vessel 21559 was also "with CC 5103 and two maritime militia vessels as supporting units," the maritime council said.
Video footage from BRP Datu Sanday captured Philippine personnel radioing the Chinese vessel — even as it sideswiped them: "Your unsafe maneuvers are in clear violation of your obligations for safe conduct under the 1972 international convention for preventing collisions."
DA-BFAR condemns hostile actions by China Coast Guard against BFAR vessels in the area of the Pag-Asa Cays yesterday. pic.twitter.com/3paEhnagCy
— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) May 22, 2025'Reckless' acts endangering civilians
Taiwan — which also claims vast swaths of the South China Sea — said through its foreign ministry that it was "deeply concerned by China Coast Guard's dangerous actions against Philippine civilian vessels," calling such coercion a threat to regional peace.
"Taiwan stands with the Philippines and urges all parties to exercise restraint and resolve disputes peacefully," Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a rare public statement.
US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson called China's actions reckless, saying they "endangered lives and threaten regional stability."
UK Ambassador Laure Beaufils described the incident as "a worrying escalation of behaviour," while Japan's ambassador expressed being "very concerned about the dangerous actions, including the use of water cannons."
Australian Ambassador HK Yu condemned China's actions against civilian Philippine vessels and said these "endanger lives and harm regional stability."
The European Union, Netherlands, Canada and New Zealand also issued statements expressing alarm over the hostilities toward Philippine civilian vessels.
'Grave violation' of sovereignty
BFAR yesterday noted that the incident is the first time that Philippine fisheries vessels were hit by water cannons from Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Cay 2.
The CCG vessels' actions damaged BRP Datu Sanday's port bow and smokestack and threatened the safety of the civilian personnel onboard, BFAR said.
The National Maritime Council called their actions "deliberate acts of interference and intimidation" that "seriously violate the sovereignty of the Philippines and constitute a grave violation of international law."
The incident occurred within Philippine territorial seas around Pag-asa Island, over which "the Philippines has longstanding sovereignty and jurisdiction," the council said.
Pag-asa Island and its surrounding cays form part of the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea.
The council noted that while the Philippines' routine maritime operations "have not been provocative," they have been met with "a pattern of coercive actions, unsafe conduct and blatant disinformation by Chinese maritime forces."
China defends actions
The Chinese Embassy in Manila defended its Coast Guard's actions, claiming Philippine vessels "entered adjacent waters surrounding China's reefs without authorization" and that China "took necessary law enforcement measures in response."
China also criticized international condemnation of the incident, urging "relevant embassies of some external countries to verify the facts before commenting on social media."
However, statements from the countries' ambassadors to Manila specifically referenced the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 international arbitral ruling that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea.
The Netherlands, for instance, said it stands with the Philippines "in upholding UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral ruling," while the UK emphasized that "international law and the legally binding 2016 Arbitral Award must be respected."
New Zealand called for "peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in accordance with UNCLOS," describing it as "fundamental to regional stability."
The National Maritime Council said the Philippine government will pursue "appropriate diplomatic actions, multilateral cooperation, and maritime capacity-building" to ensure the safety and effectiveness of Philippine maritime operations.
