Decisive Action Forces Opponent to Flee Quickly, On-Site Video Exposes Lies, China Coast Guard Responds to Philippine Provocation at Ren'ai Reef

[Global Times Report, Reporter Fan Wei] On July 20, the China Coast Guard issued a statement saying that around 9 a.m. that day, a small patrol boat from the China Coast Guard was conducting a routine patrol near China's Ren'ai Reef when the Philippine illegal "grounded" ship No. 57 released two rubber boats, ignoring our repeated clear warnings, and approached and collided with the Chinese patrol boat in a dangerous manner. During this time, personnel from the Philippine side first used paddles, long sticks, and other tools to maliciously attack the Chinese law enforcement personnel. The Chinese side took measures in accordance with the law and regulations, including issuing verbal warnings, maneuvering around, and implementing reciprocal countermeasures to stabilize the situation on the scene, maintaining rational restraint to the greatest extent possible. After the incident, the Philippine side distorted the facts and falsely accused the Chinese side, which is purely turning black and white upside down. We demand that the Philippine side immediately stop its infringement provocations and false hype. The statement emphasized that the China Coast Guard will continue to carry out law enforcement activities to safeguard rights in the Spratly Islands, including Ren'ai Reef and its surrounding waters, resolutely maintaining national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

Ren'ai Reef is part of China's Spratly Islands and is Chinese territory. In 1999, a Philippine warship illegally "grounded" at Ren'ai Reef, infringing on China's sovereignty and violating international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed by China and ASEAN countries.

Recently, the Philippine side has taken a series of infringement provocations, seriously violating China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, severely jeopardizing maritime peace and stability, and seriously undermining the political foundation for China-Philippines resolution of maritime issues. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly stated that China's position in safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests is unwavering. We demand that the Philippine side immediately stop any infringement provocations that may complicate the situation.

The conflict was entirely initiated by the malicious provocation of the Philippine personnel

On July 20, a video allegedly showing "Chinese Coast Guard personnel attacking personnel from the grounded Philippine warship" appeared in major Philippine media. In this unclear and low-quality video released by the Philippine media, a white rigid inflatable boat collided with a black rubber boat, and personnel on both boats erupted into a fierce conflict, swinging sticks at each other, ultimately leading to the "weaker" black rubber boat "fleeing" from the conflict.

Subsequently, the Philippine Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines issued statements regarding the incident, "confirming" that Philippine personnel were injured in this conflict and released photos of injured personnel's heads in an attempt to "evoke sympathy." The Philippine military also distorted the facts in their statements, slandering the law enforcement actions of the Chinese Coast Guard personnel. The Armed Forces of the Philippines stated in their official statement that "the Philippine Navy's rubber boat acted calmly and non-confrontationally to drive away. Chinese Coast Guard personnel took aggressive counteractions, striking a Philippine Navy personnel on the head with a wooden stick, causing injury, and damaging the Philippine Navy's rubber boat." Both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of National Defense boosted their morale in their statements, absurdly claiming that "Philippine Navy personnel demonstrated professionalism and discipline" and vowed to "not back down."

The Global Times reporter obtained a first-person perspective high-definition video shot by Chinese Coast Guard law enforcement personnel on the 20th, which restored the truth of the incident from a more comprehensive, real, and three-dimensional perspective, debunking the "violence" lies woven by the Philippine military. The video shows that this conflict was entirely initiated by the malicious provocation of the Philippine personnel. The two Philippine rubber boats took turns harassing the Chinese Coast Guard law enforcement boat, creating wake by speeding through, and the Philippine personnel also made provocative gestures. After being rammed and violently attacked by the Philippine personnel's rubber boat, the Chinese Coast Guard law enforcement personnel were forced to counterattack, quickly curbing the violent provocations of the Philippine personnel and forcing them to recognize their strength and flee rapidly, avoiding further escalation of the situation.

The Chinese side has always maintained a high degree of restraint

Ren'ai Reef has always been part of China's Spratly Islands. In 1999, a Philippine warship illegally "grounded" at Ren'ai Reef, and the Chinese side immediately raised serious objections. The Philippine side has repeatedly promised to tow away the "grounded" warship, but more than 20 years have passed, and not only has the Philippine side failed to tow away the warship, but it has also attempted to carry out large-scale repairs and reinforcements to achieve permanent occupation of Ren'ai Reef. This action by the Philippine side seriously infringes on China's sovereignty, violates its own commitments, and contravenes international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed by China and ASEAN countries. The Chinese side has repeatedly urged the Philippines to tow away the "grounded" warship from Ren'ai Reef and restore the original state of Ren'ai Reef.

In recent years, from a humanitarian perspective, the Chinese side has allowed the Philippines to make temporary special arrangements to transport food and other necessary living supplies to the "grounded" warship, on the condition that the Philippines promises not to transport construction materials, informs the Chinese side in advance, and undergoes on-site verification. This fully reflects the goodwill and sincerity of the Chinese side in managing the situation at Ren'ai Reef. However, the Philippines has continued to smuggle a large amount of construction materials onto the ship under the guise of personnel rotation and transporting living supplies.

In addition, the Philippine side has taken a series of infringement provocations at sea, seriously violating China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, severely jeopardizing maritime peace and stability, and seriously undermining the political foundation for China-Philippines resolution of maritime issues.

According to the Global Times reporter, the Chinese Coast Guard law enforcement vessel conducting routine patrol tasks in the waters around Ren'ai Reef is also a strong countermeasure against the verification activities of Philippine military personnel, who have been continuously driving rubber boats to provoke and harass Chinese law enforcement vessels. Informed sources told the Global Times reporter that the frontline law enforcement personnel of the Chinese Coast Guard maintained a high degree of rationality during the reciprocal countermeasures. In terms of size, the Chinese law enforcement vessel is larger, and in terms of performance, the Chinese law enforcement vessel has stronger horsepower and impact force. Once it collides with full force, the Philippine rubber boat is unlikely to have a chance to escape. However, during the entanglement with the Philippine rubber boat, the Chinese law enforcement vessel maintained a high degree of restraint.

The Philippines frequently provokes with malicious intent

"The Philippine side has recently taken the initiative to provoke incidents in the waters of China's Ren'ai Reef with malicious intent." Yang Xiao, a researcher at the Institute of Peace and Development Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in an interview with the Global Times reporter on the 20th that July 12 marked the tenth anniversary of the illegal "South China Sea arbitration ruling." Recently, the Chinese side has continuously released important reports, legally exposing the essence of this farce, making it more widely recognized that the illegal "South China Sea arbitration ruling" is "a piece of waste paper." Through a series of recent statements from the Philippine government, it can also be seen that some Philippine politicians are somewhat anxious.

In addition, the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting is being held in Manila, and this year coincides with the Philippines being the rotating chair of ASEAN. In order to hype the South China Sea issue and "lead" the narrative on the South China Sea at this multilateral meeting, the Philippine side has the motive to take risks and create conflict incidents.

"But the Philippine side has clearly underestimated the Chinese side's determination to safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. No matter how the Philippine side escalates the situation and creates incidents, it will not change the Chinese side's will and determination to safeguard its rights." Yang Xiao said.