MANILA – Foreign embassies in the country condemn the latest actions of the China Coast Guard (CCG) on Philippine vessels undergoing a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal Sunday morning, calling such actions as “unlawful” and “dangerous”.
Due to this, a Chinese vessel collided with a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) chartered boat tasked to deliver supplies for Filipino troops in Ayungin Shoal on board the beached vessel BRP Sierra Madre.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines condemns the actions of China’s Coast Guard (CCG) and its maritime militia vessels, which it says “provoked two collisions with Philippine vessels engaged in routine operations inside the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal.”
Canada called China’s actions as “unjustified” and reiterates that it has “no lawful claim to the West Philippine Sea.”
The Embassy also called out China’s actions as “incompatible with the obligations of a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLCOS), and such acts of “intimidation” and “coercion” undermine safety, stability, and security across the region, and increases the risk of miscalculation.
Canada then affirms its support for a rules-based order in the South China Sea consistent with international law, including UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral decision, which it reiterates as “final and binding” on the parties and commended the professionalism and restraint exercised by the Philippine Coast Guard.
Meanwhile, European Union (EU) Ambassador Luc Veron called China’s actions “dangerous” and “very disturbing”.
In his post on X, Veron said that “these incidents, their repetition and intensification are dangerous and very disturbing”.
He then expressed the EU’s support of the Philippines’ call for the full observance of International Law in the South China Sea.
The Netherlands and Germany also released statements of support and condemnation on China Coast Guard actions saying that they stand with the Philippines for the full observance of international law.
In her post on X, Dutch Ambassador Marielle Geraedts said that the incident is “another worrying incident” and is relieved that there are no reported casualties or that nobody got hurt in the incident.
German Ambassador Andreas Pfaffernoschke also posted on X saying that Germany is “very concerned about the recent confrontations in the South China Sea” and calls on all parties to act in accordance with UNCLOS-rules and to respect the 2016 arbitral award.
Earlier, the United States also released a statement condemning China’s latest actions or what it calls “disruption” of the resupply mission of the AFP to Ayungin Shoal.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay L. Carlson said that “the United States condemns PRC’s latest disruption of the legal Philippine resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal”.
Carlson adds that such actions are “putting the lives of Filipino service members at risk” and reiterates the “United States stand with friends, partners, and allies in protecting Philippine sovereignty and in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
