Beijing, Oct 03 (Alliance News): The European Union’s External Action Service has criticized the China Coast Guard’s actions against a Philippine ship in the South China Sea.
The US State Department also accused the Chinese Coast Guard of deliberately colliding with the Philippine vessel. Despite this, both the US and Europe have expressed support for the Philippines, but their diplomatic efforts seem ineffective in resolving the actual conflict.
A video from the scene shows the Philippine Coast Guard Vessel 9701 docking illegally at China’s Xi’an Bin Reef and deliberately colliding with a Chinese Coast Guard ship.
The video also captures a US Navy P8A spy plane interfering with the Chinese Coast Guard operations, suggesting that the collision’s responsibility lies with the Philippines.
China claims that the Philippines’ actions have worsened the South China Sea situation and that the US is exacerbating the incident.
China argues that the US has exaggerated the activities of Chinese fishing vessels in the South China Sea and encouraged the Philippines to retaliate.
The EU, according to China, has had its diplomatic freedom impacted by long-term US interventions in the Asia-Pacific region.
Maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea is a shared goal for all regional countries. The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea states that no party should take actions that escalate disputes or affect regional stability.
China asserts that recent actions by the Philippines at the Xi’an Bin Reef clearly violate this declaration.
