China and Philippines’ dispute over grounded warship heats up

China repeated its call for the Philippines to tow away a grounded warship – a World War Two-era vessel now used as a military outpost – from a disputed shoal on Tuesday after Manila rejected Beijing’s demands.

Tensions have soared between the two neighbours over the South China Sea under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back to the United States, which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China.

The Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin, is home to a handful of troops living aboard the former warship Sierra Madre, which Manila grounded there in 1999 to reinforce its sovereignty claims.

Manila has repeatedly accused the Chinese coast guard of impeding its ability to supply its troops there by blocking resupply missions, as it did on Aug. 5 when it sprayed a Philippine vessel with a water cannon.

The Philippine military described the actions of the Chinese coast guard as “excessive and offensive”. China said the incident was a “warning” and that it has exercised “rational restraint” at all times.

The Chinese coast guard released a video showing its ship spraying a water cannon at the smaller Philippine vessel without hitting it.

No one was hurt during the incident, but Philippine officials said on Monday that one of Manila’s two boats did not complete its resupply mission. Both were back in a Philippine port.

“We will do whatever is necessary to supply BRP Sierra Madre with the required food, supplies and other much-needed provisions,” said Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general of the National Security Council.

Malaya also reiterated the “Philippines will never abandon our post in Ayungin Shoal,” and urged China “not to escalate matters by water cannons or military-grade lasers, which places Philippines lives at risk”.

The Aug. 5 incident is the latest in long list of complaints Manila has lodged against China, which also include a protest against Chinese coast guard’s use of a laser against a ship supporting a resupply mission in February.

Japan and France, through their embassies in Manila, have expressed concern over such actions and repeated their support for the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated Beijing’s expansive South China Sea claims.

The Chinese ambassador to the Philippines said during a meeting on Monday with a Philippine foreign affairs undersecretary that China had no choice but to respond, China’s embassy in Philippines said on Tuesday.

“China has been waiting for feedback from the Philippine side and hopes that both sides will start talks as soon as possible so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the relevant waters,” Ambassador Huang Xilian said.

The Philippine foreign ministry said on Monday it had been was unable to reach its counterpart for several hours during the water cannon incident.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Rufus Rodriguez, a Philippine lawmaker has called on Marcos to take “more drastic actions” against China’s “harassment and bullying tactic,” including downgrading Manila’s embassy in Beijing.