South China Sea: Philippines accuse China of ship blockade

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South China Sea: Tensions have increased in recent months (archive image)

Photo: Mc2 Haydn Smith / US Navy / imago images / ZUMA Wire

Tensions in the South China Sea have been mounting for months.

Now there has been another incident between the Chinese and Philippine navies.

The government in Manila accused the Chinese coast guard of blocking two Philippine supply ships and shooting them with water cannons.

The ships were on their way to troops near the Second Thomas Shoal, which is claimed by the Philippines and guarded by Marines aboard a warship that had run out of steam.

Although nobody was injured, the supply ships had to stop the operation, said the Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin.

"The actions of the Chinese Coast Guard ships are illegal," Locsin said.

China has no law enforcement rights in the areas concerned.

"You must pay attention to this and withdraw." He had conveyed to the Chinese ambassador and the foreign ministry in Beijing "in the sharpest words the indignation, condemnation and protest of the Philippine government," said Locsin.

In the South China Sea there are territorial conflicts between China and other neighboring countries.

There are always incidents.

Beijing claims 80 percent of the roughly three million square kilometers of the ocean, which is rich in natural resources and through which important shipping routes run.

Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also claim parts of the sea area for themselves, which is strategically and economically extremely important for the neighboring countries.

The International Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected China's claims in 2016.

Beijing ignores the verdict.

Tensions had increased this year when hundreds of Chinese ships were sighted on the Spratly Islands' Whitsun Reef.

asc / dpa / AFP