“The China Coast Guard, in accordance with the law, took necessary measures, including monitoring, forcing, intercepting and controlling the Philippine vessels to expel them,” it said. There was no mention of Chinese ships colliding.
The latest encounter in the South China Sea took place days after Beijing urged Manila to “refrain from playing with fire” over Taiwan.
The damaged Chinese Coast Guard ship.Credit: AP
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos jnr said his country could be pulled into a possible conflict in case there was a confrontation between the US and China over Taiwan due to their geographic proximity. China regards the self-governing island north of the Philippines as a renegade province.
“Despite our fervent wish to avoid any confrontation with anybody anywhere, war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines kicking and screaming into the conflict,” Marcos said in a briefing.
Marcos also said the Philippines, a longtime US ally, will not back down from pushing its claims in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims in almost its entirety despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that rejected it.
“We will continue to defend our territory. We will continue to exercise our sovereign rights and despite any opposition from anyone,” he said.
Bloomberg
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