China has denied Philippine allegations that its coast guard deliberately obstructed a medical evacuation by the Philippine Coast Guard at the disputed Ayungin Shoal in the South China Sea, saying its vessel acted legitimately and eventually allowed the evacuation to proceed on humanitarian grounds.
According to The Manila Times, the October 8 incident involved China Coast Guard vessel 5306 using a water cannon on a Philippine Coast Guard ship conducting a medical evacuation at the shoal, delaying the mission by nearly 10 hours.
China's response: "legitimate and reasonable measures"
In a statement on Friday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning rejected the obstruction claim and asserted that it was the Philippine vessel that had entered waters near Ren'ai Jiao — China's name for the shoal — without Beijing's permission. Mao said the coast guard had taken what she called legitimate and reasonable measures before allowing the evacuation to proceed.
Mao added that after communication between the two sides, China gave timely permission for the Philippine side to evacuate the injured personnel by small boat and provided necessary facilitation, citing humanitarian considerations.
Manila accused of "distorting facts"
Mao went further, criticising Manila for raising concerns over the encounter. She said Philippine officials had distorted the facts and wrongfully accused China without showing the whole picture, accusing them of provoking China and staging publicity stunts.
For its part, the Philippine Coast Guard has urged China to respect humanitarian medical evacuations, emphasising that life-saving missions at sea should never face water cannon attacks, obstruction or delays.
Why it matters
The episode is the latest flashpoint in the long-running friction between Manila and Beijing over the disputed South China Sea. Ayungin Shoal has been a recurring site of confrontation between the two countries' coast guards, and disagreements over humanitarian operations at sea carry particular political sensitivity on both sides.
Sources:
The Manila Times: China denies obstructing PCG medical evacuation at Ayungin Shoal
According to The Manila Times, the October 8 incident involved China Coast Guard vessel 5306 using a water cannon on a Philippine Coast Guard ship conducting a medical evacuation at the shoal, delaying the mission by nearly 10 hours.
China's response: "legitimate and reasonable measures"
In a statement on Friday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning rejected the obstruction claim and asserted that it was the Philippine vessel that had entered waters near Ren'ai Jiao — China's name for the shoal — without Beijing's permission. Mao said the coast guard had taken what she called legitimate and reasonable measures before allowing the evacuation to proceed.
Mao added that after communication between the two sides, China gave timely permission for the Philippine side to evacuate the injured personnel by small boat and provided necessary facilitation, citing humanitarian considerations.
Manila accused of "distorting facts"
Mao went further, criticising Manila for raising concerns over the encounter. She said Philippine officials had distorted the facts and wrongfully accused China without showing the whole picture, accusing them of provoking China and staging publicity stunts.
For its part, the Philippine Coast Guard has urged China to respect humanitarian medical evacuations, emphasising that life-saving missions at sea should never face water cannon attacks, obstruction or delays.
Why it matters
The episode is the latest flashpoint in the long-running friction between Manila and Beijing over the disputed South China Sea. Ayungin Shoal has been a recurring site of confrontation between the two countries' coast guards, and disagreements over humanitarian operations at sea carry particular political sensitivity on both sides.
Sources:
The Manila Times: China denies obstructing PCG medical evacuation at Ayungin Shoal
