China, PH ships collided near Escoda Shoal —Chinese exec

A China Coast Guard (PCG) vessel and a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship had a collision near Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Monday, according to a Chinese official.

In a statement posted on social media platform Weibo, CCG spokesperson Gan Yu alleged that PCG vessels BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño “illegally entered” the area without permission from China.

The Chinese official also accused BRP Bagacay of “deliberately” colliding with a CCG vessel.

“At 03:24, the Philippine ship No. 4410 (BRP Bagacay) ignored China's repeated solemn warnings and deliberately collided with China's 21551 boat, which was normally safeguarding its rights and enforcing the law in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a collision,” Gan said.

Gan said the CCG also took “control measures” against the Philippine vessels.

GMA News Online sought confirmation from the PCG and the Philippine Navy about the incident as reported by the CCG, but they have yet to respond as of posting time.

In a post of X (formerly Twitter), former US Air Force official and former defense attaché Ray Powell, who is constantly monitoring China’s presence in the WPS, pointed out that CCG usually uses water cannons as control measures.

“Over past week China has been messaging intent to aggressively contest any Philippines missions to Sabina, where the BRP Teresa Magbanua has been posted since mid-April,” Powell said.

“Last week, China's spokespeople and propaganda outlets repeatedly telegraphed China's intent to oppose any attempt by Philippines to replace or extend the BRP Teresa Magbanua's stay at Sabina Shoal, which it calls ‘Xianbin Jiao’ and now claims as its ’territory’,” he added.

For the CCG, the Philippines was responsible for the incident.

“The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines. We warn the Philippines to immediately stop its infringement and provocation, otherwise all the consequences arising therefrom will be borne by the Philippines,” Gan said as he reiterated Beijing’s sovereignty over Escoda Shoal.

Escoda or Sabina Shoal is located 75 nautical miles or about 140 kilometers off Palawan and is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 

BRP Teresa Magbanua has been stationed in Escoda Shoal since April amid reports of China’s reclamation activities in the area. 

Despite talks for deescalation, tensions continue amid China’s massive claim in the South China Sea (SCS), including the portion the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea.

The SCS is a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Aside from the Philippines, China has overlapping claims in the area with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China does not recognize the decision. —KBK, GMA Integrated News