The Philippine armed forces have launched extra movies from yesterday’s run-in between Philippine and Chinese vessels within the Spratly Islands, together with footage of the second when a Chinese water cannon shattered the bridge home windows of a Philippine provide boat. Regional navy commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos sustained minor hand accidents within the assault, in keeping with Philippine outlet GMA 7. 

WATCH: At least 4 Philippine sailors are injured after China’s Coast Guard fired water cannons, shattering the home windows of the sailors’ provide boat because it made its manner towards the Second Thomas Shoal.

Source: Armed Forces of the Philippines pic.twitter.com/idOLkliTXi

— TaiwanPlus News (@taiwanplusnews) March 6, 2024

The China Coast Guard’s actions resulted in minor accidents and vessel injury, however didn’t rise to the extent at which Manila would ask for navy assist from the United States, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated Wednesday.

“I don’t suppose that it’s a time or the rationale to invoke the [U.S.] Mutual Defense Treaty. However, we proceed to view with nice alarm this persevering with harmful maneuvers and harmful actions which are being accomplished towards our seamen, our coast guard,” Marcos stated in an interview throughout a visit to Australia. 

The U.S. State Department has reiterated that the treaty covers armed aggression at sea. “The United States reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea,” a State Department spokesperson stated in a press release Tuesday. 

The location of the run-in is throughout the Philippine unique financial zone (EEZ), and the Chinese mainland lies some 700 nautical miles to the north. China believes that the overwhelming majority of the South China Sea is Chinese, regardless of the 200-mile most boundary laid out by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration within the Hague dominated that China’s declare to sovereignty over Philippine waters was inconsistent with worldwide legislation, however Beijing has ignored the ruling. 

This morning, @coastguardph vessels, BRP CABRA and BRP SINDANGAN, have been deployed by the Commandant, CG Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, to assist the Rotation and Reprovisioning Operation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Throughout the operation, the PCG vessels confronted harmful… pic.twitter.com/WsjnMnGSEk

— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) March 5, 2024

“The responsibility for the incident lies completely with the Philippines,” stated Chinese international ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a press convention on Wednesday. “The so-called arbitral award on the South China Sea arbitration that the Philippines and a handful of countries regard as a benchmark goes against international law including UNCLOS and it is completely illegal, null and void.”