The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday reported a recent incident of “short-distance maneuvers” by a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel in the disputed South China Sea that “restricted” the movement of a Philippine vessel sailing nearby. .
The March 2 incident took place during Philippine maritime patrol operations around the Scarborough Shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, the PCG said in a press release.
It remains unclear whether the Philippines has filed a diplomatic rally over the incident. PCG said it had to wait for the country’s National Task Force’s departure signal for the West Philippine Sea before making the incident public.
The incident involved a Chinese Coast Guard vessel with heading number 3305 that performed close-quarters maneuvers in an area of approximately 19.2 meters in the direction of the Philippine vessel BRP Malabrigo, the PCG said.
“This restricted BRP Malabrigo’s room to maneuver – a clear violation of the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) of 1972,” the PCG said.
The Philippine Coast Guard has asked the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs to help resolve the issue through “peaceful and rule-based approaches,” according to PCG commander Admiral Artemio Abu.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
China claims most of the waters within the so-called Nine Dash Line in the South China Sea, which is also contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Abu said it was the fourth reported incident of close quarters maneuvers involving the Chinese Coast Guard and Philippine vessels at the Scarborough Shoal since May last year.
Despite the risks, Abu said the deployment of Filipino assets and personnel in waters within the country’s exclusive economic zones will continue.
Source: CNN Brasil
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