Philippines Seeks Explanation From China Over Seizure of Rocket Debris – The Diplomat

ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia

The Philippines has sought an official rationalization from China’s authorities after a Chinese language coast guard vessel reportedly seized Chinese language rocket particles from Filipino navy personnel within the disputed South China Sea, officers stated yesterday.

Maria Theresa Daza, a spokesperson for the Philippine Division of International Affairs, advised journalists {that a} diplomatic be aware has been relayed to China for “clarification from the Chinese language aspect over the incident,” the Related Press reported.

The November 20 incident off the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island was the newest in a string of actually a whole lot of incidents which have taken place within the areas the place China’s “nine-dash line” maritime declare loops into the Philippine-claimed areas of the South China Sea.

In a November 21 assertion reported by the Philippine Information Company, Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, the commander of the navy’s Palawan-based Western Command, stated that Filipino sailors, utilizing a long-range digicam, noticed some “metallic” particles drifting close to a sandbar of about 540 meters off the coast of Thitu Island. They set out on a ship and retrieved the floating object and began to tow it again to the island.

On the best way again, they observed {that a} China Coast Guard vessel “was approaching their location and subsequently blocked their pre-plotted course twice,” Carlos stated. The Chinese language vessel, which bore bow quantity 5203, then deployed an inflatable boat with personnel who “forcefully retrieved” the particles by chopping a towline hooked up to the Filipino sailors’ rubber boat. There stays no rationalization for the sequence of thunder-like blasts that villagers on Thitu reported listening to on Sunday.

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Underneath its contentious “nine-dash line” maritime declare, Beijing claims a big swathe of what Manila phrases the West Philippine Sea, and Chinese language vessels have encroached repeatedly into the nation’s unique financial zone. Within the first 70 days of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s time period, which started on July 1, the Philippines lodged 52 protests in opposition to Beijing’s “incursions” and “unlawful presence” within the Philippine areas of the South China Sea. This got here after the lodging of 388 official protests in the course of the six-year time period of Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.

It’s unclear whether or not the Philippines will obtain a passable reply from China concerning the rocket particles. Because the AP reported, China’s International Ministry has merely denied that the fragments had been seized forcibly. “The Philippine aspect salvaged and towed the thing first. After pleasant session on the website, the Philippine aspect returned the thing to China, and China expressed appreciation for that,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on November 21. “There was no such factor as interception or forcible seizure on the scene.”

The incident got here simply two days forward of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ go to to the Philippine island of Palawan, which lies round 500 kilometers from Thitu Island, the most important inhabited Philippine characteristic within the Kalayaan Island Group, as Manila refers to its occupied options within the South China Sea.

Talking aboard a Philippine coast guard patrol ship docked in Puerto Princesa, Harris underscored Washington’s assist to its long-time treaty ally “within the face of intimidation and coercion within the South China Sea,” an apparent reference to China.

“We should arise for ideas equivalent to respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, unimpeded lawful commerce, the peaceable decision of disputes,” Harris added. “When the worldwide rules-based order is threatened someplace, it’s threatened all over the place.”