'In the spirit of humanitarianism': China, the Philippines jointly rescue stranded Filipino fishermen in South China Sea

SINGAPORE: China assisted the Philippines in the crew rescue of a stricken Philippine fishing boat near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea on Saturday (Jun 29), although it faced accusations of initially blocking the efforts.

The weekend incident marks a rare instance of cooperation between the two countries in the South China Sea, where a violent confrontation erupted recently amid heightened tensions.

The vessel had experienced an engine explosion in the waters off Scarborough Shoal, injuring two of the eight fishermen on board, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) stated in a Facebook post on Sunday (Jun 30). It referred to the shoal as Bajo de Masinloc, as it is known in the Philippines.

According to the PCG, a Philippine vessel patrolling the area, the BRP Sindangan, was immediately instructed to provide medical assistance.

"During the operation, our vessel received radio challenges, as well as encountered shadowing and initial blocking by China Coast Guard (CCG) and People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ships,” said PCG spokesperson CG Rear Admiral Armando Balilo.

The Chinese vessels stopped shadowing the BRP Sindangan when they were informed about the humanitarian mission, the spokesperson said. He added that the CCG also launched two inflatable boats and offered to help the eight fishermen on the stricken fishing boat.

PCG nurses assessed that two crew members had suffered second-degree burns and provided them with first aid. All eight were also given food and drinking water, added the PCG in its Facebook post.

“In times of emergencies, the safety of life should always be our priority. The Philippine Coast Guard and the China Coast Guard communicated in a diplomatic manner and set aside issues on sovereignty, in the spirit of humanitarianism,” said the spokesman. 

“We will not elevate tension, but we will remain firm on our mission to ensure the safety of lives at sea,” he added. 

The incident was also covered by Chinese media, although their reports did not mention any blocking or shadowing by Chinese coast guard or military vessels.

The state-run Global Times reported that a CCG vessel on patrol “launched a rescue operation and helped rescue a Philippine fishing boat in distress”. It added that this took place in the waters “near China’s Huangyan Dao”, referring to how China describes Scarborough Shoal.

The Chinese vessel released small boats during the operation, according to the Global Times. Life jackets and lifebuoys were also provided to the “distressed Filipino fishermen”, reported Chinese news outlet China Daily.

The China Coast Guard communicated with its Philippine counterparts during the rescue operation and the Philippine side “expressed gratitude for the humanitarian rescue” by the Chinese authorities, reported the Chinese news outlets.

COOPERATION AMID CONFRONTATIONS

The incident on Saturday was a rare occasion of cooperation between the Philippines and China as tensions mount in the South China Sea, with a major incident erupting just two weeks ago.

Video footage released by the Philippine military showed Chinese coast guard sailors brandishing knives, an axe, and other weapons on Jun 17 in a clash with Philippine naval vessels near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

A Filipino sailor lost a thumb in the clash, which broke out when Philippine forces were attempting to resupply marines stationed on a derelict warship that was deliberately grounded atop the shoal in 1999 to assert Manila’s territorial claims, AFP reported.

Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner said the "outnumbered" Filipino crew had been unarmed and had fought with their "bare hands".

China has blamed Manila for the confrontation.  Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the Philippines had "escalated tensions" and accused them of ramming Chinese boats.

Beijing has insisted that its coast guard behaved in a "professional and restrained" way during the confrontation and claimed "no direct measures" were taken against Filipino personnel.