Philippines Stirs Up Trouble at Multiple Sites in the South China Sea and Deliberately Provokes; China Coast Guard Issues Statement

Jiang Lüe, spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, stated that on July 24, the Philippines organized 7 official vessels, 3 coast guard ships, and 1 fish-transport boat, and instigated a large number of fishing boats to illegally gather in the waters under the jurisdiction of China's Huangyan Dao (Huangyan Island). During this period, three Philippine official vessels — numbers 3001, 3005, and 3017 — disregarded repeated dissuasion and warnings from the China Coast Guard and willfully intruded into the territorial sea of China's Huangyan Dao. In accordance with the law, the China Coast Guard took necessary measures against the trespassing Philippine vessels — including issuing verbal warnings, imposing interception and control, and deploying water cannons — to resolutely drive them away; the on-site operations were professional, standardized, justified, and lawful. Following its violent assault on China Coast Guard law-enforcement personnel at Ren'ai Jiao (Ren'ai Reef) on July 20, the Philippines dispatched vessels to intrude into the waters under the jurisdiction of China's Huangyan Dao for two consecutive days, stirring up trouble at multiple locations in the South China Sea and deliberately provoking. This gravely infringes upon China's sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and severely undermines peace and stability in the South China Sea. We sternly warn the Philippine side to immediately halt its infringing and provocative actions; otherwise, the Philippine side shall bear all consequences arising therefrom. The China Coast Guard will continue to carry out rights-protection and law-enforcement activities in waters under China's jurisdiction in accordance with the law, and will resolutely safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.