The Philippines has sent another diplomatic protest against China following the aggressive actions carried out by the China Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea which resulted in damage to the Philippine vessels and injuries to four Filipino crew members.

According to Ma. Teresita Daza, spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the country lodged another protest against China for its “irresponsible use of water cannons [that] damaged a Philippine supply vessel and caused minor injuries among some of the Filipino crew.”

“The Philippine Embassy in Beijing has demarched their counterparts in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday,” Daza said in a joint press briefing with the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday.

“The department also lodged another diplomatic protest against the Chinese side by summoning the Chinese embassy, also yesterday afternoon,” she added.

Daza said Ayungin Shoal is “part of our exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and the Philippines has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over it.”

“As a low-tide elevation, Ayungin Shoal can neither be the subject of a sovereignty claim nor is it capable of appropriation under international law,” she said.

“The Philippines’ resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre are part of routine operations in line with domestic and international law,” she added.

She continued: “This lawful activity is well within the exercise of Philippine rights within our EEZ. We have not added anything to our normal and routine RORE missions. Our conduct over our EEZ remains the same.”

‘What agreement?’

Daza also refuted China’s claims that the Philippines once again broke a promise it allegedly made to them.

“The Philippines has made sincere efforts to implement our leaders’ instructions to lessen tensions and have our foreign ministers and foreign ministries hold discussions,” she said.

“China, however, has made references to supposed agreements or arrangements out of these discussions,” she added.

She continued: “The Philippines has not entered into any agreement abandoning its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its EEZ and continental shelf, including in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal.”

She noted that China’s “unlawful exercise of maritime law enforcement powers, interference with Philippine rotation and resupply missions, or any other activity that infringes upon the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction in Ayungin Shoal are violations of international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

“We continue to call on China to cease and desist from undertaking actions that violate Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, and undermine the mutual trust and confidence that should underpin our bilateral relations,” she said.

China position

For its part, the China Foreign Ministry maintained its position in the issue, reiterating their sovereign right to Ayungin Shoal, which they refer to as as Ren’ai Jiao.

“China’s position on the issue of Ren’ai Jiao is consistent and clear. For some time, China and the Philippines have maintained communication on properly managing the situation at Ren’ai Jiao,” Mao Ning, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said.

“The Philippines once again broke its promise to China by making infringements and provocations, and creating trouble in the waters of Ren’ai Jiao, seriously violating China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” she added.