Taiwan slams China's dangerous actions vs. PH vessels in WPS

Taiwan on Thursday condemned China’s heightened aggression against Filipino troops in Ayungin Shoal, which resulted in the injury of several Philippine Navy sailors.

In a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said ''#China’s dangerous actions against #Philippines???????? vessels & personnel have maliciously raised regional tensions.''

''#Taiwan???????? condemns violence, opposes attempts to forcefully alter the status quo & calls for peaceful dispute resolution & respect for international maritime law,'' the statement said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has confirmed that a Philippine Navy service member was severely hurt in a collision between a Chinese vessel and a Filipino rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) that was performing rotation and resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal.

According to a 24 Oras report by Joseph Morong, seven service members were injured in the incident, including a member of the Naval Special Operations Group whose thumb was severed from his right hand.

Earlier, AFP Public Affairs Office chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said the service member was safely evacuated and received prompt medical treatment after China Coast Guard's (CCG) " intentional high-speed ramming" of the other Filipino watercraft.

The CCG claimed that the Philippine supply ship "dangerously approached" the Chinese ship and ignored Beijing's repeated warnings.

The United States, the European Union and several countries have expressed serious concerns over the Chinese actions in the region.

Ayungin Shoal is located 105 nautical miles or 194 kilometers west of Palawan and is well within the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is part of the country’s continental shelf.\

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

The Philippine government sued China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague in 2013. The Court ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea.

Beijing has since ignored the ruling.—RF, GMA Integrated News