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According to Chinese state media, military personnel on a Philippine ship pointed guns at China’s Coast Guard in disputed waters of the South China Sea last month.
Chinese state media reported on Sunday that at least two individuals aboard a Philippine vessel near the Second Thomas Shoal were seen carrying firearms and aiming them at China’s Coast Guard. A 29-second video released on social media appeared to show a masked person briefly holding what seemed to be a rifle.
At least two men on a grounded Philippine military vessel pointed guns at a China Coast Guard (CCG) team patrolling in the waters off Ren'ai Jiao on May 19.https://t.co/sqIch1mFAM pic.twitter.com/xu4UC1Hazu
— CCTV+ (@CCTV_Plus) June 2, 2024
The incident took place during a Philippine mission to resupply troops stationed on a decaying warship that the Philippines intentionally grounded in 1999 to assert its sovereignty.
Requests for comments from the Philippine Navy, Coast Guard, National Security Council, and the embassy in Beijing went unanswered. However, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. indirectly addressed the situation in a speech on Friday attended by China’s defense minister. He condemned “illegal, coercive and aggressive actions” in the South China Sea, suggesting they threatened the region’s aspirations for peace, stability, and prosperity.
This development comes amid increased confrontations between the Philippines and China that have been noted over the past year, including incidents where China’s Coast Guard used water cannons on Philippine ships.