EU ‘condemns dangerous actions’ by China against Philippines ship

Incidents ‘endanger the safety of life at sea and violate the right to freedom of navigation to which all nations are entitled’, the EU said

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A Chinese Coast Guard ship, right, collides with a Philippine Coast Guard vessel near the Sabina Shoal on Saturday in an image taken from video provided by the Philippine Coast Guard. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard via AP

Published: 1:22am, 2 Sep 2024

The European Union accused China on Sunday of taking “dangerous actions” against the Philippines, as Beijing and Manila blamed each other for deliberately ramming their coastguard ships.

The collision marks the latest in a spate of similar incidents in recent weeks in the South China Sea, where Beijing claims almost all of the economically vital body of water despite competing claims from other countries and an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

“The EU condemns the dangerous action by Chinese coastguard vessels against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the area of the Sabina Shoal,” said Nabila Massrali, spokeswoman for the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell, in a statement.

02:40

Beijing, Manila trade ‘ramming’ claims in latest South China Sea coastguard incident

A Chinese coastguard spokesman had said Saturday’s incident took place off the disputed Sabina Shoal, which has emerged as a new hotspot in the long-running maritime confrontations between the two countries.

The incidents “endanger the safety of life at sea and violate the right to freedom of navigation to which all nations are entitled under international law”, the EU statement said.

“The EU condemns all unlawful, escalatory and coercive actions that undermine these principles of international law and threaten peace and stability in the region.”

Since President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr took office in 2022, Manila has more firmly asserted its claim to sovereignty over disputed reefs despite Beijing showing no intention of backing down on its own claims.