Chinese ‘barbarians’ wanted a shootout — PN

The confrontation between the China Coast Guard (CCG) and Filipino sailors at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on Monday appeared to be an attempt by the Chinese to provoke the Filipinos into “firing the first shot,” a high-ranking Philippine Navy official said Thursday.

Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, stressed that despite the CCG’s aggressive actions, the Philippines would not be drawn into a conflict.

“This will always be below the threshold of conflict, that means this will not go as far as shooting at each other,” he told reporters in English and Filipino.

Trinidad’s remarks came after the CCG’s intense harassment of Filipino troops conducting a rotational and resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre on 17 June.

The Philippine military reported that CCG personnel, wielding bolos, knives and sticks intentionally rammed, towed, and boarded Philippine boats, actions which CCG spokesperson Gan Yu described as “control measures.”

“They would have liked to push us into firing the first shot. That’s the battle plan you should understand. The Chinese thought we could be goaded to violence,” Trinidad said.

Referring to the CCG as a “band of barbarians,” Trinidad emphasized the Philippines will always respond in accordance with the rules of engagement and international law.

“We are hereto assert our sovereignty; we are here to ensure that our sovereign rights are protected,” he said.

Trinidad highlighted the importance of understanding the Chinese’s tactics, which he said is aimed at winning without fighting.

Microcosm

“So we have to understand their moves, that they will find ways for you to make a mistake and if you make that mistake, what will be your protection? You should always act within the bounds of the law,” he said.

The confrontation at Ayungin Shoal, which China calls Ren’ai Reef, occurred 105 nautical miles west of Palawan within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“We have to understand that what happened at the ground level is just a microcosm of the bigger picture, [and] the bigger picture is China has encroached on our EEZ,” Trinidad said.

A 2016 arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines invalidated China’s claim of historical rights over the entire South China Sea, which includes the contested area.

Video footage released by the Philippine military showed the Chinese coast guard brandishing weapons, including sticks, knives, and an axe, as they attacked the Philippine naval vessels near Ayungin or Second Thomas Shoal.

The video showed CCG personnel shouting, waving knives, and using sticks to pound on an inflatable boat while a siren blared.

According to the AFP, a sailor lost a thumb in the incident, which also saw Chinese coast guardsmen confiscating and destroying the Filipinos’ equipment, including their guns.

“The axe-wielding Chinese soldier threatened to injure a Filipino crewman, while others were explicitly threatening to harm the other Filipino troops,” the military said.

Restrained

The AFP footage contrasted sharply with photos released by Beijing’s state media, which did not show the Chinese forces wielding weapons. Beijing insisted its coast guard had behaved in a “professional and restrained” manner and “no direct measures” were taken against the Filipinos.

However, the video clearly showed a Chinese sailor waving an axe and another striking the inflatable boat with a stick and a knife.

“Amid this violent confrontation, the CCG also deployed tear gas, intensifying the chaos and confusion, while continuously blaring sirens to further disrupt communications,” said the AFP.

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. noted that the outnumbered Filipino crew were disarmed and fought with their “bare hands.” A voice in one clip, speaking in Tagalog, could be heard saying that someone had “lost a finger.”

Manila has accused Beijing of committing an “act of piracy” and has demanded the return of the items “looted” by the Chinese side, including seven guns, as well as reparations for the damaged equipment.

Brawner likened the Chinese coast guard to pirates.

“Only pirates do this. Only pirates board, steal, and destroy ships, equipment, and belongings,” said Brawner, while belying claims the AFP personnel were held hostage during the incident.

“We were not held hostage, but the Chinese were able to board our rigid hull inflatable boats,” he said.

Brawner said the AFP will demand that China return the rifles and other equipment they looted. “We are also demanding that they pay for the damage that they caused.”