The Philippines has accused China’s Coast Guard of carrying out a “brutal assault” involving bladed weapons during a confrontation in the South China Sea, significantly escalating a longstanding territorial dispute that could potentially draw the United States into a global conflict.
The Philippine military released footage on Thursday showing Chinese coast guard officers wielding an axe and other sharp tools against Filipino soldiers, slashing their rubber boat in what Manila described as “a brazen act of aggression.” The incident occurred near the Second Thomas Shoal in the contested Spratly Islands on Monday, during a Philippine mission to resupply its troops stationed on a beached World War II-era ship, which symbolizes Manila’s territorial claims over the atoll.
Both nations have blamed each other for the confrontation, but the recent footage represents a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions, with China adopting more overtly aggressive tactics. Analysts suggest these actions are designed to test the reactions of the Philippines and its key defense ally, the United States.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated on Wednesday that the actions taken by its coast guard were “professional and restrained” and emphasized that “no direct measures were taken against Philippine personnel.” However, Collin Koh, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, noted that it was unprecedented for China’s maritime law enforcement to board a Philippine naval vessel, which could be interpreted as an act of war under international law.
During a press conference on Wednesday, senior Philippine military officials reported that Chinese Coast Guard officers “illegally boarded” the Philippine rubber boats, “looted” seven disassembled rifles, destroyed outboard motors and communication equipment, and confiscated the personal cellphones of Filipino personnel. Commander Alfonso Torres Jr. of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command stated that a Philippine Navy serviceman lost his right thumb when the Chinese Coast Guard rammed the rubber boat. Additionally, China’s Coast Guard reportedly deployed tear gas, “blinding” strobe lights, and continuously blared sirens.
General Romeo Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, criticized the Chinese Coast Guard’s actions, comparing them to those of pirates. He highlighted the disparity in weaponry, noting that Filipino personnel fought with bare hands against the bladed weapons wielded by the Chinese.
The South China Sea dispute has significant implications for the United States due to its longstanding mutual defense treaty with the Philippines. The recent clash is the first since a new Chinese law took effect, authorizing its coast guard to seize foreign ships and detain crews suspected of trespassing for up to 60 days without trial. This incident also follows a warning from Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that the death of any Filipino in the waterway could be considered an act of war.
The US has repeatedly affirmed its “ironclad commitment” to the 1951 mutual defense treaty with the Philippines. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller condemned China’s actions, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a call with his Philippine counterpart Enrique A. Manalo, reiterated the United States’ commitments under the defense treaty. Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, noted that the footage released by the Philippines could trigger mutual defense commitments under the treaty, but the Philippines would need to initiate the move for the US to intervene militarily.
China asserts “indisputable sovereignty” over most of the South China Sea, including many features far from mainland China, despite competing claims from other nations, including the Philippines. A 2016 ruling by an international tribunal in The Hague favored the Philippines, concluding that China has no legal basis for its extensive claims. However, China has ignored the ruling and has increasingly asserted its maritime claims through confrontations involving its coast guard and militia boats.
The decision by China’s Coast Guard to use bladed weapons has drawn comparisons to the clashes between China and India on their disputed Himalayan border, where soldiers have fought with sticks, rocks, and their hands. The Philippine personnel involved in the recent South China Sea clash are elite forces from the Navy Special Operations Group, trained in combat but instructed to exercise restraint.
Footage released by the Philippine military shows the clash occurred near the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting US-built Philippine Navy landing craft deliberately grounded in 1999 to assert Manila’s territorial claims over Second Thomas Shoal. This is the closest China’s Coast Guard has come to the BRP Sierra Madre. Under normal rules of engagement, the Philippine garrison would have fired warning shots, but the incident did not escalate further due to the Philippines’ restraint.
Analysts believe China is testing the responses of both Manila and Washington to gauge the limits of US security commitments to the Philippines. This calculated risk by Beijing appears aimed at probing the red lines and reactions of both the Philippines and its allies.
The incident highlights the growing tensions in the South China Sea, a resource-rich and strategically important waterway, and underscores the potential for conflicts that could involve major global powers. The Philippines’ measured response in the face of aggression reflects a cautious approach aimed at avoiding further escalation while maintaining its territorial claims and sovereignty in the contested region.
