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[Global Times reporter Fan Wei] The Chinese Coast Guard issued three messages in succession in the early morning of August 19 to inform the Philippines of its provocative and infringing actions in the South China Sea. The notification showed that the Philippines changed its previous mode of infringing with a combination of "coast guard ships + civilian ships" and sent two coast guard ships to try to launch illegal intrusions on multiple islands and reefs in the South China Sea under the cover of night, and deliberately rammed the law enforcement vessels of the Chinese Coast Guard. The Chinese Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine ships in accordance with the law. Relevant experts said in an interview with the Global Times on the 19th that the Philippines intended to test China's bottom line, but obviously misjudged the situation.

Philippine Coast Guard Ship Deliberately Collided with Chinese Coast Guard Boat

The Chinese Coast Guard’s report showed that the Philippine Coast Guard ships No. 4410 and No. 4411 initially attempted to intrude into the waters near China’s Xianbin Reef. Faced with the legal control of the Chinese Coast Guard, after the infringement failed, the Philippine Coast Guard ship No. 4410 ignored China’s repeated warnings and route control and turned to China’s Ren’ai Reef to carry out intrusion activities. As a result, it was also controlled by the Chinese Coast Guard in accordance with the law. Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, said: “We urge the Philippines to immediately stop its infringement and provocation, otherwise all the consequences arising from this will be borne by the Philippines.”

According to the on-site video released by the Chinese Coast Guard, at 3:24 and 3:25 a.m. on August 19, the Philippine Coast Guard Ship 4410 rammed the port side of the Chinese Coast Guard Boat 21551 twice in succession. From the wake of the ship, it can be seen that at 3:24, the Philippine Coast Guard Ship 4410 accelerated and rammed the Chinese Coast Guard Boat 21551 when the Chinese Coast Guard Boat 21551 had already slowed down. At 3:25, the Philippine Coast Guard Ship 4410 suddenly turned and rammed the Chinese Coast Guard Boat when it was being monitored by the Chinese Coast Guard Boat 21551.

The Philippine Coast Guard vessels have launched a series of intrusions on two islands and reefs in the South China Sea where the situation is tense. This is a characteristic of the Philippines' infringement actions. "The purpose may be to test China's bottom line," Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said in an interview with the Global Times on August 19.

Previously, China reached a temporary arrangement with the Philippines on controlling the situation on the Ren'ai Reef. Based on China's three-point principled position, China allowed the Philippines to deliver some humanitarian supplies to the illegally stranded warship, subject to prior notification and on-site confirmation by China.

Yang Xiao said that the Philippines attempted to open up a new "front line" at Xianbin Reef. Its large-tonnage coast guard ships have been stranded in the Xianbin Reef lagoon for more than four months, making Xianbin Reef a new "hotspot" area. This time, the Philippines tried to unilaterally rush into Ren'ai Reef after failing to break into Xianbin Reef. It may be that it wanted to test the strength of China's countermeasures, especially to "find out" whether China will adopt different response strategies against the Philippines at Xianbin Reef and Ren'ai Reef.

In addition, during this intrusion, the Philippine ships once again made fierce confrontational moves, deliberately ramming Chinese Coast Guard ships. The last time the Philippines took such an extreme action was on June 17 when it invaded Ren'ai Reef and attempted to deliver supplies to the illegally "grounded" warship.

According to the Philippine News Agency on the 19th, Philippine National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya said in a statement that the Philippine Coast Guard ships No. 4410 and No. 4411 that ran into the Xianbin Reef were damaged due to the collision. Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tariela claimed that the Philippine Coast Guard ship No. 4411 had its hull damaged when it was intercepted by a Chinese Coast Guard ship, and that the Philippine Coast Guard ship No. 4410 had structural damage after colliding with the Chinese Coast Guard ship No. 21551. Pictures released by the Philippines showed that after colliding with the Chinese Coast Guard ship, both the Philippine Coast Guard ships No. 4410 and No. 4411 had large holes.

Why did the Philippines go against the flow on the road of maintaining regional peace and stability? Li Kaisheng, a researcher and vice president of the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, believes that the Philippines has been unwilling to give up after the "June 17 Incident". Since Marcos Jr. came to power, his performance in governance has been lackluster. His aggressiveness on the South China Sea issue is one of the few political bargaining chips that can manipulate public sentiment and increase domestic recognition. "However, no matter how the Philippines collides, it will definitely hit a hard 'stone'. True peace is based on strength. China's strong power in the South China Sea is not only a reliable barrier to defend China's sovereignty, but also a stabilizer to ensure the calmness of the South China Sea and regional peace and stability." Li Kaisheng said.

Later in the evening of the 19th, Gan Yu, spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, stated that the China Coast Guard will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in the waters under China's jurisdiction in accordance with the law, resolutely thwart all infringing and provocative acts, and resolutely safeguard the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

Regarding the Philippines' latest provocative and infringing behavior, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on the 19th that China has always been committed to properly handling maritime disputes between China and the Philippines through dialogue and consultation. It is hoped that the Philippines will honor its commitments, earnestly abide by the consensus and arrangements reached with China, refrain from taking actions that complicate the situation, and work with China to manage the maritime situation.