Philippines says China’s actions in South China Sea are aggressive and illegal

MANILA: The Philippine government on Monday (Aug 26) lashed out at China for its “repeated aggressive, unprofessional and illegal” actions in the South China Sea following a series of clashes and incidents in the air and at sea over the past week.

The National Maritime Council of the Philippines said Chinese aircraft carried out dangerous maneuvers against a civilian aircraft conducting patrols over Scarborough Shoal and Subi Reef.

On Sunday, Chinese vessels also “blockaded, rammed and fired water cannons” at a government fishing vessel as it was carrying out a resupply mission to Filipino fishermen on the Sabina Bank, he said.

These actions are “alarming,” the maritime council said in a statement.

“This calls into question China’s supposed commitment to de-escalating the situation in the region and creating an environment conducive to dialogue and consultation,” the council said.

The Philippines added that it would continue to use diplomacy to manage maritime issues and urged China to “return to the path of constructive dialogue” on South China Sea issues.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said separately Monday that China’s actions were “blatantly illegal” after the clash near the Sabina Shoal.

“We have to expect this kind of behavior from China because it is a struggle. We have to be prepared to anticipate and get used to these kinds of actions from China that are clearly illegal, as we have said many times,” Teodoro told reporters.