by Zenith and Arcane

Over the past several months, China has been escalating tensions with the Philippines by engaging in illegal activities in the disputed West Philippine Sea.

A Growing Conflict

The Philippines began the year by carrying out their second joint patrol in the West Philippine Sea with the United States on January 3 and 4. 

Later on March 5, at least four Filipinos were injured because the Chinese Coast Guard used water cannons against the Ayungin resupply vessel. It also led to a collision between the two ships that caused some damage. 

On the 23rd of the same month, China continued its dangerous maneuvers. At the same time, the Philippine military reported that a Chinese Maritime Militia boat, with the help of a Chinese rigid-hulled inflatable boat, “deployed and installed floating barriers to prevent further entry of any vessels in the shoal.” 

Subsequently, ten Chinese ships—six from the maritime militia and four from the coast guard—reportedly used water cannons to harass two Philippine government vessels that were patrolling the waters near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal).

On June 17, the China Coast Guard intentionally attacked Philippine soldiers on a rotation and resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal to stop the mission. One of the Philippine ships was towed by the Chinese Coast Guard, which also confiscated disassembled arms and damaged equipment on board. Aside from the severely injured crews, a Filipino soldier also lost his right thumb as China Coast Guard continued to ram the rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) of the Philippines.

These recent incidents in the West Philippine Sea have ignited concerns not only for national security but also for the economy of our country.

A History of China’s Expansion

To say that we rely on our waters to fuel our economy would be an understatement. Given our country’s geography, it’s only right that we make the most out of our environment. One of, if not our most fruitful source of natural resources, is the West Philippine Sea— and now we face the risk of losing this pillar in our economy.

The West Philippine Sea is not only abundant in sea creatures for fishermen to catch, but also in natural gases and oil; all of which have helped our country develop in ways unimaginable. The Philippines has always been blessed by nature, and our seas are no exception; so it’s understandable why China has always taken an interest in sharing the joy to potentially grow their economy as well. 

Considering how China has always been an economic powerhouse throughout history, they’ve always emphasized their dominance— now more than ever with publically-released maps depicting the land and waters they claim. 

Since the 1940’s, China has adopted the 11-dash line on their maps. From an 11-dash line, came a 9-dash line, and now more recently, a 10-dash line. This imaginary line has always served the purpose of establishing ownership of islands within the “South China Sea,” with the aforementioned 10-dash line sparking conflict amongst several other countries in Asia aside from the Philippines. China’s newly released map stakes claim for neighboring Southeast Asian countries’ waters or even land, and this was sure to leave a sour taste in the mouths of these nations.

It’s important to note that a majority of the world has opposed China’s contentious claims of territory, that’s why in 1982 the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was agreed upon; stating that all countries have an EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) that stretches across two hundred 200 nautical miles. Moreover, not only did the countries bordering the South China Sea sign this agreement—- China themselves signed, yet are still contradicting the consensus reached. 

Furthermore, a notable event over the last few years, is China’s expansion over the Scarborough Shoal in Filipino waters; which triggered the Philippines to begin arbitral proceedings in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2016, the court ruled in The Philippines’ favor, and discredited China’s justification of their expansion via the 9-dash line. Still, China continues to widen its horizons despite continuously going against UNCLOS and nations’ calls for them to stay out of their waters. 

Now, with the harassment and injuring of Filipino sailors, it’s no surprise that fear has begun to spark in the hearts of the Filipino people. However, we can only hope that the tensions die down and the casualties stop at the ones currently recorded.

For as long as China continues their expansive approach, the chance of more lives being put at risk will increase; and that doesn’t just mean the lives of Filipino mariners, but those in neighboring countries as well. Despite this, as long as the West Philippine Sea provides for our country, our intentions to fight for our waters remain in the interest of the livelihoods and well-being of the Filipino people. 
Pilipinas, atin ang West Philippine Sea.