Beijing vows to defend maritime rights after expelling US, Philippine vessels

China will not back down but will instead more resolutely safeguard its national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, authorities and experts said, after the Philippines and the United States separately dispatched warships, warplanes, and official vessels to intrude into the territorial waters and airspace of China’s Huangyan Island within just two days.

Chinese naval forces expelled a US destroyer that illegally intruded on Aug 13 into China’s territorial waters near Huangyan Island in the South China Sea, according to a spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army.

Senior Captain He Tiecheng, a spokesperson for the naval forces of the PLA’s Southern Theater Command, said in a statement that USS Higgins illegally entered China’s territorial waters off Huangyan Island without the approval of the Chinese government. The statement was released by the PLA Navy’s South Sea Fleet on Aug 13.

The spokesperson said the theater command’s naval forces organized to track, monitor, issue warnings, and expel the US warship in accordance with laws and regulations.

“The actions of the US military seriously infringed upon China’s sovereignty and security, severely undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea, and contravened international law and basic norms governing international relations,” He said.

The naval forces of the Southern Theater Command maintain high alert at all times to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability, He added.

On Aug 11, the China Coast Guard expelled multiple Philippine Coast Guard vessels, government ships, and so-called fishing boats from the territorial waters around Huangyan Island.

Meanwhile, Philippine military aircraft also intruded into the airspace over Huangyan Island.

Gan Yu, spokesman for the China Coast Guard (CCG), noted that the CCG took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring and blocking, to expel the Philippine vessels.

Gan emphasized that China’s on-site operations were “professional, standardized and legitimate”, adding that the Philippine vessels had used the pretext of supplying fishing boats, ignoring China’s repeated dissuasion and warnings and insisting on intrusion.

“Huangyan Island is China’s inherent territory,” he said. “The CCG will continue to conduct rights protection and law enforcement activities in the waters of Huangyan Island lawfully to firmly safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

Zhang Junshe, a former researcher at the PLA Naval Research Academy, said that the Philippines’ deployment of various vessels and warplanes for intrusion indicated a “premeditated provocation”.

“The Philippines aims to continuously intrude into the airspace and waters here in various ways to achieve a de facto long-term presence, thereby attempting to assert its so-called sovereignty, which will surely be met with China’s strong countermeasures,” he said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian condemned the actions of the Philippines on Aug 12, saying that they seriously infringed on China’s sovereignty and rights and interests, seriously harmed maritime peace and stability, and were of a malign nature.

Lin emphasized that the facts have proved once again that the Philippines’ deliberate infringements and provocations at sea are the root causes of the tense situation.

He urged the Philippines to immediately cease its infringements and provocations and to refrain from “challenging China’s firm resolve to safeguard our lawful rights and interests”.

Zhang, the researcher, said that Lin’s response sent a clear warning: China will not back down.

Liu Lin, a professor of international strategy at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that while making infringements, the Philippines meticulously prepared video materials for propaganda to shape a hyped narrative.

Contact the writer at jiangchenglong@chinadaily.com.cn