https://asiatimes.com/2024/03/...ight-breaking-point/

Just as Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) finalized their joint communique after a special summit in Melbourne this week, yet another major incident erupted in the South China Sea.

According to Philippine authorities, an armada of China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese maritime militia vessels “harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons, and executed maneuvers in another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct” a Philippine Navy resupply mission to the hotly contested Second Thomas Shoal.

The collision caused minor structural damages to the Philippine patrol vessel BRP Sindangan. But, for the first in recent memory, multiple Filipino officers sustained injuries after Chinese coast guard vessels simultaneously fired water cannons at their resupply vessel.

The violent incident prompted open discussions in Manila on whether it should call for direct American military assistance under the 1951 Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

In a statement, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller quickly affirmed that the MDT “extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels or aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea.”

However, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr maintained that the recent clashes didn’t meet the threshold for a joint military response.

“I do not think that it is a time or the reason to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty. However, we continue to view with great alarm this continuing dangerous maneuvers and dangerous actions that are being done against our seamen, our Coast Guard,” Marcos Jr said.

ASEAN leaders, gathered at the special summit in Melbourne, declined to directly call out China’s actions, but instead just “encourage[d] all countries to avoid any unilateral actions that endanger peace, security and stability in the region.”

This stood in stark contrast to the positions of both the Philippines as well as host nation Australia, which earlier warned against inaction before “destabilizing, provocative and coercive actions”, since “[w]hat happens in the South China Sea, in the Taiwan Strait, in the Mekong subregion, across the Indo-Pacific, affects us all.”

The latest crisis not only reinforces questions over ASEAN’s claim to “centrality” in shaping regional affairs but also alienates founding members such as the Philippines, which has struggled to get any concrete support from any of its immediate neighbors over the South China Sea disputes.

Over the past year, China has repeatedly resorted to coercive means to impose its will in the contested maritime area. Late last year, China water cannoned Philippine resupply missions to the Second Thomas Shoal on at least two occasions.

This time, however, China’s actions were more than typical “gray zone” tactics, which mainly entailed the shadowing and swarming of Philippine vessels by Chinese maritime forces, since they led to injury among Philippine Navy officers, including a naval chief, as well as structural damage to a Philippine navy vessel.

In a separate incident, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel also narrowly avoided direct collision with an approaching Chinese vessel.

“This time, they damaged the cargo ship and caused some injury to some of our seamen and I think that we cannot view this any way but in the most serious way,” Marcos Jr said on the sidelines of the Melbourne summit, underscoring the growing risk of accidental clashes and all-out armed confrontation.

More at link

Had to go read what the Second Thomas Shoal was.

A 11 mile long coral reef. Four or five countries claim "ownership" of it. The Philippine navy ran an old WWII ship aground in 1999. There are navy personnel living aboard the ship.

So whenever they try to resupply the ship things escalate.

The place is in the middle of nowhere, not sure why everyone wants it.

Further reading suggests China wants to turn it into a military base.

quote:

Originally posted by TomV:
Had to go read what the Second Thomas Shoal was.

A 11 mile long coral reef. Four or five countries claim "ownership" of it. The Philippine navy ran an old WWII ship aground in 1999. There are navy personnel living aboard the ship.

So whenever they try to resupply the ship things escalate.

The place is in the middle of nowhere, not sure why everyone wants it.

Further reading suggests China wants to turn it into a military base.

Strategic territory, mineral rights, underground oil supply, etc. But from the Philippine president's answer, it sounds like he's confirming their whole government has been bought and paid for by the Chinese. That resupply is just like the way my pet dog bugs me for treats.

We could lend-lease them an icebreaker. That should take care of anybody doing a nautical brake-check.