The European Union today accused China of carrying out “dangerous actions” against Philippine ships, while Beijing and Manila transfer responsibility for collisions between their coast guard ships in the South China Sea, AFP reported, quoted by BTA.
The EU condemns these actions “perpetrated by Chinese coast guard vessels against the legitimate maritime operations of the Philippines” in the South China Sea, said a statement by Nabila Masrali, spokeswoman for the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
China and the Philippines yesterday accused each other of deliberately provoking the clashes near a disputed atoll after a series of incidents in the area.
These incidents “threaten the safety of people at sea and violate the right to freedom of navigation to which all countries are entitled under international law”, the spokeswoman noted.
„The EU condemns all illegal, escalating and coercive actions that undermine the principles of international law and threaten peace and stability in the region,” she said, adding: “The EU calls for a de-escalation of tensions and remains committed to supporting its partners , who seek to exercise their legal rights in the region and beyond”.
Motivated by historical arguments, China claims almost all areas in the South China Sea, but faces competing claims from other neighboring countries (Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia).
Since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. came to power in 2022, Manila has been more assertive in asserting its sovereignty over some disputed atolls against the claims of Beijing, which has no intention of backing down, according to AFP.< /p>