The Philippines summoned China's envoy on Monday to protest against "aggressive actions" in the South China Sea at the weekend, as Manila's defence minister dared Beijing to bolster its vast sovereignty claims by taking them to international arbitration. The Philippine foreign ministry has accused China's coastguard of deploying water cannon against a civilian boat supplying troops on Saturday at the Second Thomas Shoal. This action, according to the ministry, resulted in damage to the boat and injuries to some crew members, marking the latest in a series of confrontations over the past year.
#Philippines #China #SouthChinaSea #Standoff #Diplomacy #Arbitration #TerritorialDispute #InternationalLaw #PhilippineDiplomacy #Beijing #ConflictResolution #Sovereignty #MaritimeSecurity #Geopolitics #EastAsia #Tensions #DiplomaticRelations #ForeignPolicy #NavalStandoff #RegionalSecurity
~PR.152~ED.103~HT.95~
#Philippines #China #SouthChinaSea #Standoff #Diplomacy #Arbitration #TerritorialDispute #InternationalLaw #PhilippineDiplomacy #Beijing #ConflictResolution #Sovereignty #MaritimeSecurity #Geopolitics #EastAsia #Tensions #DiplomaticRelations #ForeignPolicy #NavalStandoff #RegionalSecurity
~PR.152~ED.103~HT.95~
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NewsTranscript
00:00 The Philippines summoned China's envoy on Monday to protest against aggressive actions
00:09 in the South China Sea at the weekend as Manila's defence minister dared Beijing to bolster
00:14 its vast sovereignty claims by taking them to international arbitration.
00:18 The Philippine foreign ministry has accused China's coast guard of deploying water cannon
00:22 against civilian boat supplying troops on Saturday at the second Thomas Shool.
00:27 This action, according to the ministry, resulted in damage to the boat and injuries to some
00:31 crew members, marking the latest in a series of confrontations over the past year.
00:35 In a strongly worded statement, the Philippine foreign ministry condemned China's ongoing
00:39 interference with the country's lawful activities within its exclusive economic zone, deeming
00:43 it unacceptable.
00:44 The statement further announced the summoning of the charged affairs of Chinese embassy
00:48 and the lodging of a diplomatic protest in Beijing.
00:51 Asserting the Philippines' sovereign rights and jurisdiction, the ministry demanded the
00:54 withdrawal of Chinese vessels from the area.
00:57 On Saturday, China's coast guard asserted that it took necessary actions against Philippine
01:02 vessels it deemed to be intruding in its territorial waters.
01:05 China's expansive claim over the South China Sea-encompassing areas such as the second
01:09 Thomas Shool clashes with the Philippines' own exclusive economic zone extending 200
01:13 miles from its shores.
01:15 The Philippines deliberately grounded an old warship at the Shool in 1999 to reinforce
01:19 its territorial assertions and has maintained a small military presence there since.
01:24 Despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration which dismissed China's claims
01:28 in a case initiated by Manila, China has adamantly refused to acknowledge the ruling, continuing
01:33 to deploy numerous coast guard vessels across the South China Sea.
01:36 In response to the recent incident, Philippine security officials convened a high-level meeting
01:40 on Monday to formulate recommendations for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on navigating
01:44 the dispute.
01:45 Since assuming office in 2002, Marcos has adopted a firm stance against what he perceives
01:49 as Chinese aggression, resisting Beijing's demands to avoid contested territories.
01:54 These tensions arise amidst Marcos' efforts to strengthen ties with the US, a defence
01:58 treaty ally which includes proposals for expanded access to military bases and joint air and
02:03 sea patrols.
02:04 These developments have drawn suspicion from China, exacerbating the already strained relations
02:08 between the two nations.
02:09 For more UN videos visit: www.un.org/webcast