• 10 months ago
China accused a Filipino vessel of "illegally placing itself" on a disputed South China Sea atoll. The Philippines' vessel, stationed for supply purposes, landed on the Spratly Islands atoll. Tensions rise as China and the Philippines dispute territorial claims, exacerbated by a recent refusal to tow away a grounded vessel, contributing to strained relations.

#China #Philippines #FilipinoMilitary #SouthChinaSea #SpratlyIslands #XiJinping #CCP #Worldnews #Oneindia #Oneindianews
~PR.152~ED.103~GR.121~HT.96~
Transcript
00:00 According to media reports, China has accused a small civilian vessel from the Philippines
00:08 of illegally placing itself into the beach of a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.
00:14 The vessel, presently for supply purposes, has landed on the Spratly Islands Atoll.
00:20 For the unaware, Philippines maintains troops on a World War II ship grounded in 1999 at
00:25 the Second Thomas Shoal to reinforce sovereignty claims, which is near the Spratly Islands
00:30 Atoll.
00:31 China, however, contests the sovereignty over the South China Sea, including the disputed
00:35 areas, and it has previously requested the Philippines to tow away the vessel, contributing
00:40 to the strained relations.
00:42 Meanwhile, the Permanent Court of Arbitration has ruled against China's claims in 2016 already.
00:47 Yet, the recent satellite images from the Maxar illustrate escalating tensions between
00:51 Philippines and China over the Second Thomas Shoal.
00:55 The images reveal Chinese Coast Guard vessels blocking access to the Philippine military
00:59 base on the strategically important reef.
01:01 Occupied by the Philippines since the 1990s, the Second Thomas Shoal lies within the Philippines'
01:06 exclusive economic zone, but has become a focal point as China seeks territorial control
01:11 in the South China Sea.
01:13 The tensions heightened in December 2023 when the Philippines conducted an operation to
01:18 reinforce and resupply a marine station on the BRP Sierra Madre, a ship deliberately
01:24 grounded in 1999 to serve as a base.
01:27 In a dramatic show of force, 11 Chinese vessels intercepted the supply missions to the Sierra
01:32 Madre.
01:33 The Philippines' refusal to comply with China's request to remove the vessel has contributed
01:38 greatly to the ongoing tensions.
01:40 The Chinese Coast Guard claims that the Philippines' vessel illegally placed itself on the atoll,
01:45 and it adds a new layer to the complex maritime dispute.
01:48 As China maintains territorial assertions, the strategic importance of the South China
01:52 Sea remains a geopolitical concern.
01:55 The international community continues to monitor the dispute, emphasizing the need for diplomatic
02:00 solutions to prevent further escalation in the South China Sea.
02:03 "
02:09 (dramatic music)

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