Philippines accuses China of blocking Filipino coast guard vessel
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Manila says that Chinese ships blocked a Filipino vessel trying to deliver fuel to fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal.
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Members of the Philippine Coast Guard patrol in the South China Sea on April 14, 2021 (Filipino Coast Guard)
The Philippines claimed on Sunday that the Chinese coast guard tried to obstruct a Filipino government ship from delivering supplies to fishermen, marking the second such reported incident near a contested reef this month.
The BRP Datu Sanday was supplying fuel to fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal when it was harassed by a China Coast Guard vessel and three other Chinese ships on February 22, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
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According to the Philippine Coast Guard, on February 22, the BRP Datu Sanday was providing fuel to fishermen near the Scarborough Shoal when it was harassed by a China Coast Guard vessel and three other Chinese ships. Three of the vessels came within 100 meters of the Datu Sunday, with electronic jamming and other "dangerous maneuvers" being reported.
"Despite these maneuvers, the skipper of BRP Datu Sanday exhibited excellent seamanship skills and managed to evade the blocking attempts," said Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Filipino Coast Guard spokesperson on South China Sea issues.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported a similar incident involving the BRP Datu Tamblot in the same area a week prior.
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The Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks, has been a contentious area between the two countries since China took control of it from the Philippines in 2012.
Beijing and Manila have been entangled in tensions resulting from the South China Sea dispute, but the issue has grown since the Philippines started conducting increased military exercises in the South China Sea in coordination with the United States.
Sixty percent of maritime trade passes through Asia, with the South China Sea carrying an estimated one-third of global shipping. Most recently, US and Western-affiliated naval ships have been crossing the area as part of the ongoing provocations against China.
